New Delhi: Star Pakistan batter Babar Azam on Sunday scored back-to-back fifties against South Africa in the third and final One-Day International match played at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg. In the final ODI match of the series, the home side donned pink jersey in a bid to raise awareness for breast cancer.
After being invited to bat on a high-scoring venue, Babar came in to bat at his designated No.3 position. He came into the match on the back of an excellent 73 in Cape Town, where Pakistan sealed a remarkable 81-run win to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.
Babar Azam scores 52 vs SA
The prolific campaigner banked on his form to give support to the 22-year-old Saim Ayub who went on to hit his second century in the format. The pair resurrect the visitor’s innings just after losing Abdullah Shafique to Kagiso Rabada on the second ball of the innings.
Babar hit seven boundaries throughout his sluggish knock, starting with the backfoot punch for a well-timed cover drive off Kagiso Rabada on the final ball. He heaved Marco Jansen, got rid off an inside edge against Rabada, smacked a couple of fantastic shots against Bjorn Fortuin, played with the face of his blade against Kwena Maphaka.
The innings gave hints that Babar was braced for a big knock after he smashed Mphaka for a crackling boundary to notch up his 34th half-century in ODIs. All that heavy expectations went in vain when the 30-year-old was caught by David Miller off Maphaka’s bowling on the third ball of the 23rd over, getting out for 52 from 71 balls to put an end to the 114-run stand for the third wicket.
Babar Azam won’t have an ODI century to his name in 2024
Babar Azam has finished 2024 by scoring 228 runs in six innings at an average of 57 with the help of a couple of fifties and the best score of 73. This would be the first time for the Pakistan No.3 batter that he won’t have a century registered in a calendar year after his debut year in 2015.
In between 2016 and 2023, Babar hit 19 hundreds in the format. In 2015, he played seven innings and made 230 runs without a century as an unbeaten 62 against England in Abu Dhabi was his highest that year. It seems that the 2015 year has again haunted the form of the stylish Pakistan batter.
Babar Azam’s recent back-to-back fifties against South Africa highlighted his consistent form despite a centuryless 2024. His 52 in the final ODI contributed to a significant partnership with Saim Ayub. However, this marks the first time since his debut year that Babar hasn’t scored an ODI century in a calendar year, a notable statistic given his previous prolific run-scoring. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
