PAK vs ENG | Babar Azam becomes sixth Pakistan player to score over 1000 Test runs in calendar year
Pakistanās all-format captain Babar Azam has become the only sixth player from his country to get to 1,000 Test runs in a calendar year. The 28-year-old achieved the feat on Day 3 of Pakistanās third Test match against England after reaching 45 in the second innings in Karachiās National Stadium.
At home, Pakistan are 2-0 down in the ongoing three-match series against England and are on the verge of enduring a clean sweep by the Ben Stokes-led side. At stumps on Day 3 of the third and final Test, England reached 112/2, requiring 55 more runs to get the job done. In these dark times, Babar Azam achieved a rare milestone to give Pakistani fans something to cheer about.
On Monday, Babar became the sixth Pakistani player to aggregate a total of 1,000 Test runs in a calendar year. This was the seventh occasion when a Pakistani player achieved this feat as Younis Khan reached this landmark twice. Younis made 1,179 runs in 2006 and another 1,064 runs eight years later, in 2014.Ā
Meanwhile, Mohammad Yousuf leads the chart with 1,788 runs, which he tallied in 2006. The others, who joined the list prior to Babar are Azhar Ali (1,198 in 2016), Inzamam-ul-Haq (1,090 in 2000), and Mohsin Khan (1,029 in 1982).
Barring Babar, only three batters have crossed the 1,000-run in Test cricket this year. They are Joe Root, who has scored 1,098 runs in 27 innings, Usman Khawaja, who has hit 1,079 runs in 19 innings, and Jonny Bairstow (1,061 runs in 19 innings). Babar, at present, has 1,009 runs from 15 innings. He will maximum bat two more innings this year during the first Test match against New Zealand, to be played in Karachi from December 26 onwards.