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Pakistan skipper Babar Azam roared with the bat on Day 1 of the first Test against New Zealand in Karachi on Monday (December 26). After having a fair share of struggle with the bat, Babar finally got his mojo back with his ninth ton in the longest format of the game. Riding on his unbeaten 161 off 277, Babar paired with Sarfaraz Ahmed (86 off 153) to rescue Pakistan from a precarious 110/4 to 317/5 at the close of Day 1.
Enroute to his sensational knock, Babar also bagged a new milestone in Tests as his batting average went past 50 and it was the first time that the star Pakistan batter surpassed India's batting juggernaut Virat Kohli in terms of batting average.
Babar has often been compared to Kohli since the world started noticing his batting prowess. Babar now clocks a batting average of 54.93 in Tests, more than Virat (48.91). But with India having a four-match home Test assignment against Australia in February, Kohli will have a chance to dampen Babar's short-lived milestone.
Against New Zealand, Babar came out to bat when Pakistan had lost the first two wickets for just 19 runs. The Pakistan skipper first formed a fine little partnership of 62 runs with Saud Shakeel for the 4th wicket. Later, Babar and former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed put in 194 runs for the 5th wicket, before the latter departed for a well-made 86 on his return.
The 28-year-old has also become the leading run-scorer in Test cricket this year as he surpassed England's Joe Root. Babar now has amassed over 1100 runs against his name in Tests, with Root nipping on his heels with 1098 runs. Australia's Usman Khawaja and England's Jonny Bairstow also have over 1000 runs in the longest format of the game this year. Babar also has smashed most fifty plus scores in a calendar year as a captain. This was Babar's 25th 50+ score this year, surpassing Ricky Ponting's record of 24 that he had set in 2005.
Babar will look to continue his batting blitz in pursuit to claim the Test series against Kiwis after a disappointing show against England where they lost 3-0.
