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In a big achievement former Pakistani captain Babar Azam bagged a towering milestone on Day 3 of the first Test match against Australia on December 16, Saturday. He became the fifth Pakistani player to accumulate over 13,000 runs across all three formats of international cricket. Also he became the fastest Pakistani batter to amass 13000 international runs. Azam had a cautious start to his innings, taking 13 deliveries to score his first run with a cover drive against Pat Cummins. In the first innings, the accomplished right-hander managed to score 21 runs off 54 balls before being caught by wicketkeeper Alex Carey off Mitchell Marsh's delivery.
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With this feat, the 29-year-old star batter joins the ranks of Pakistan's cricket legends. He now stands among the likes of Inzamam-ul-Haq, who tops the list with 20,541 runs, followed by Younis Khan with 17,790 runs, Mohammad Yousuf with 17,134 runs, Javed Miandad with 16,213 runs, and now Babar Azam with 13,007 runs.
Remarkably, Azam achieved this milestone in just 301 innings, making him the quickest Pakistani to do so. This surpasses the previous record held by Javed Miandad, who reached this mark in 305 innings. He is followed by Mohammad Yousuf (322 innings), Inzamam-ul-Haq (352 innings), and Younis Khan (372 innings).
Throughout his 8-year international career, Azam has represented Pakistan in 50 Tests, 117 ODIs, and 104 T20Is. He boasts an impressive average of 49.08 across all formats. His prolific batting has led to 31 centuries and 81 half-centuries, further solidifying his status as one of Pakistan's cricketing greats.
Most international runs for Pakistan
Inzamam-ul-Haq – 20541
Younis Khan – 17790
Mohammad Yousuf – 17134
Javed Miandad – 16213
Babar Azam – 13007
Fastest to reach 13000 international runs for Pakistan
Babar Azam – 301 Innings
Javed Miandad – 305 Innings
Mohammad Yousuf – 322 Innings
Inzamam-ul-haq – 352 Innings
Younis Khan – 372 Innings
Talking about the match, Pakistan managed to score 271 runs in their first innings, after Australia had set a formidable total of 487 runs on Day 2. Commencing Day 3 at 132/2, Pakistan struggled to build on their start and were eventually bowled out for 271, falling behind Australia by 216 runs. Australian skipper Pat Cummins opted against enforcing the follow-on, deciding instead to bat in their second innings.
In Australia's subsequent batting effort, Pakistan's bowlers made early inroads. Newcomer Khurram Shahzad impressed with the ball, claiming the wickets of David Warner, who departed without scoring, and Marnus Labuschagne. Despite these early setbacks, Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith steadied the Australian innings, crafting an unbeaten partnership of 79 runs, with Khawaja contributing 34 and Smith 43.
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