Melbourne: Pakistan’s star batter, Babar Azam, faced another setback in the ongoing tour of Australia as he was dismissed for a mere one run during the first innings of the Melbourne Test on Wednesday. The dismissal came at the hands of Australia captain Pat Cummins, who delivered an absolute beauty to cut short Babar’s knock.
Having arrived at the crease just an over before, Babar faced a lethal spell from Cummins. The Australian skipper’s length delivery seamed inwards fiercely, creating just enough movement to breach the bat-pad gap, ending Babar Azam’s innings.
Babar had previously scored 21 and 14 in the opening Test in Perth, where Pakistan suffered a substantial 360-run defeat. The former captain’s batting performances have been under scrutiny, especially since the ODI World Cup, where he scored 320 runs in nine matches with an average of 40.
Despite calls for him to step down as captain after the World Cup, Babar resigned from the captaincy, and Shan Masood took over the leadership role in Tests. The struggles persist, raising questions about Babar’s form and his impact as a batsman.
In the Melbourne Test, Pakistan managed to bowl out Australia for 318, with Aamer Jamal picking up three wickets. Marnus Labuschagne top-scored for the hosts with 63 runs in the first innings. Pakistan, in response, faced an early setback with opener Imam-ul-Haq departing for 10, but Abdullah Shafique (62) and captain Masood steadied the innings with a 90-run stand.
