Babar Azam faces Test setback with unwanted record

Babar Azam faced a challenging year in Test cricket, encountering a notable downturn in his batting performance, especially in the red-ball format.

Throughout the entirety of 2023, he found himself unable to secure a Test half-century in nine innings, marking the first instance since his debut that he failed to achieve this milestone in a calendar year.

His struggles persisted in the second Test against Australia at the renowned Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). In a match where Pakistan had a daunting 317-run target set by Australia, Babar managed to score 41 runs before falling victim to Josh Hazlewood's delivery, succumbing to a clean bowled dismissal.

This continued a trend seen in the first innings, where Babar Azam was similarly dismissed by Pat Cummins after scoring only one run. The right-handed batsman misjudged the ball, resulting in his stumps being disturbed as he was bowled out, reflecting the challenges he faced with the bat in the match and the year as a whole.

The former Pakistan captain ended the year with 204 runs in nine innings at an average of 22.66.