Pakistan captain Babar Azam continued his impressive show with the bat as he smashed his 9th Test hundred in the ongoing encounter against New Zealand in Karachi. The captain walked out to bat, when Pakistan were in a spot of bother after being reduced to 48/3. Living up to his reputation, Babar remained firm at the crease and stitched 196-run stand for the fifth wicket with Sarfaraz Ahmed, who's inclusion in the playing XI comes as a big surprise.
Babar's innings steadied the ship for Pakistan, as they reached 317/5 at stumps on Day 1, with the captain returning unbeaten on 161 off 277 balls. But what was even more noteworthy was the way Babar reached the triple digit mark. He smashed Michael Bracewell for an enormous six in the deep mid-wicket region, sending fans a reminder of how Indian legend Virender Sehwag used to do it. Not just that, his celebration following the century also looked a bit similar to Sehwag. Here is the video:
Babar was congratulated by Sarfaraz, who also made the most out of the rare opportunity. He scored 86 runs before being dismissed by Ajaz Patel. Sarfaraz was seen hugging Babar emphatically after the skipper reached his ton.
{{/usCountry}}Babar was congratulated by Sarfaraz, who also made the most out of the rare opportunity. He scored 86 runs before being dismissed by Ajaz Patel. Sarfaraz was seen hugging Babar emphatically after the skipper reached his ton.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, the Pakistan dressing room broke into exuberant celebration, which included a standing ovation by the entire unit, after Babar's 100. Mohammad Rizwan, specifically, was seen having a chat with the support staff, where it looked like he was praising Babar for his century.
Earlier Pakistan won the toss and opted to bat first in the opening Test. They got off to a slow start, losing Abdullah Shafique and Shan Masood cheaply.
Imam-ul-Haq then joined the duo shortly after scoring 24 off 38 balls, following which Pakistan also lost Saud Shakeel in the 20s. Babar along with Agha Salman will lead the proceedings on Day 2.