Babar Azam Slams Fifty As Fans Wait For His First Test Century In Four Years During ENG Vs PAK 3rd Test; VIDEO

Birmingham, September 11: Babar Azam finally gave Pakistan fans something to cheer about as he scored a half-century in the third Test against England at Edgbaston on Friday. The fifty came after a difficult start to the series and once again brought the focus on his long wait for a Test century.

Babar had scored just 8 and 6 in the two innings at Lord's before being dismissed for 7 in Pakistan's first innings at Edgbaston. His latest fifty is therefore a much-needed boost for the Pakistan captain who has been under pressure for his lack of big scores.

However, the bigger wait continues. Babar has not scored a Test century since December 2022 when he made 161 against New Zealand in Karachi. It has now been nearly four years since his last Test hundred.

The difference in his numbers before and after 2022 is also striking. From 2016 to 2022, Babar scored 3,645 Test runs at an average of 49.25 and hit nine centuries. Since 2023, his numbers have dropped sharply with 1,050 runs at an average of 29.16 and no centuries.

That means his Test average has fallen by more than 20 runs per innings. His century count has also completely dried up during this period, despite playing 20 Tests.

Babar's last Test hundred came during a brilliant 2022 season. He scored 1,184 Test runs that year and hit four centuries. Since then, he has struggled to produce the big innings that once made him one of Pakistan's most reliable batters.

His fifty against England will offer some relief, but Pakistan will want much more from their star batter. With England already in control of the series, Babar's ability to turn this fifty into a big score could be crucial for Pakistan.

For now, the fifty ends one drought but leaves the biggest question unanswered: when will Babar Azam finally score his first Test century in nearly four years?