BAN vs PAK: Babar Azam Returns With Fighting Fifty in 2nd Test But Pakistan Batting Suffers Yet Another Collapse vs Bangladesh; Fans React — ‘The King Is Back’

BAN vs PAK 2nd Test: Babar Azam returned to Pakistan’s playing XI and showed what the visitors missed in the first test. The former Pakistani skipper starred with a half-century, while the rest of the batters succumbed to a collapse once again. The right-handed batter scored 68 runs in 84 balls before being dismissed by Nahid Rana. His knock meant that despite a collapse, the Shan Masood-led side had gone beyond 200 runs for the loss of eight wickets at the time of writing in the second session of the second day. Apart from Babar, the highest score for Pakistan was 21 from their skipper, Shan Masood, and Salman Ali Agha. 

BAN vs PAK 2nd Test: Babar Azam shines on return for Pakistan

Day 2 of the second Test match against Bangladesh at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium included a strong innings from Pakistani batter Babar Azam. Pakistan was reduced to 79/4 in their first innings following Bangladesh’s first-innings score of 278/10. But Babar played a solid knock to get his team back into the game. Babar Azam scored an incredible 68 runs off 84 balls, including ten boundaries. Despite missing the first game of the series, the batter has amassed 4,434 runs at an average of 42.63 from 62 Test matches. In the longest format, this was his 31st half-century. 

Babar Azam, with a splendid knock, extended his lead as the highest run-getter in this decade. The Pakistani batter has scored more than 8,200 runs and is more than 500 runs ahead of the second-best, Joe Root.

BAN vs PAK 2nd Test: Pakistan collapses once again

For the second time in the series, Pakistan has succumbed to a collapse at the hands of the Bangla Tigers. Having bowled Bangladesh out for 278 runs in the first innings, it was a great opportunity for Pakistan to take a lead and possibly get them in a strong position to level the series. However, the batters, apart from Babar Azam, failed to get going. Taskin Ahmed was solid with the new ball as he removed both of the Pakistani opening batters. He dismissed Azan Awais and Abdullah Fazal, both batters who made their debut in the previous game. Mehidy Hasan Miraz then got the ball to turn, dismissing Shan Masood and Saud Shakeel. 

Pakistan were 79 for four when Babar shared an impressive 63-run stand with Salman Ali Agha for the fifth wicket. During the partnership, Azam got to his half-century but was dismissed before he could convert to a triple-digit score. It would have been a useful century not just for the visitors but for Babar himself, who has not scored a century in the longest format since 2022.

Also Read: BAN vs PAK 2nd Test: Pakistan’s Hasan Ali Stretchered Off After Head Injury, Resumes Bowling Later, Picking Two Wickets — WATCH Video