Babar Azam is seen as one of the best batsman in the contemporary world. He has been a run-machine of sorts and he has performed at a very high level in each of the formats of the game. But in the first test of the Pakistan-Bangladesh series, Azam came up with an uncharacteristic performance. He was dismissed for a duck and was the first ever Pakistan captain to be bowled out for nothing in a home Test.
The Unwanted Record:
The sacking of Azam was an eye opener to many fans and pundits. He had been in good nick prior to the Test series. He had scored two Test hundred and one fifty in the recently concluded Test series against Sri Lanka. But he could not get it started in the first Test against Bangladesh.
The first bowling change was taken when Azam was given out by Taijul Islam in the second over of the innings. He was caught lbw and he could not use the DRS to change the decision. It was rather a damp squib for Azam, as he had expected to make a big score in the second innings as well.
The Impact of the Dismissal:
The latter evolved into a decisive turning point after the young Azam team witnessed a key dismissal at the hands of the rival’s seam bowler. Pakistan partners were not assuring themselves of how to build a combination and lost wickets to be all out for a paltry 242. Bangladesh then got dominant of the match and the side was able to stage a strong build up of a healthy lead.
The Significance of the Record:
This was the case of Azam whose dismissal could be considered as a very limited number of dismissals. He is a very consistent batsman and it is rather rare that he gets a duck out of the ground. That he was the first Pakistan captain to be bowled for zero in a home Test says much about the record as well.
The Lessons Learned:
It is obvious that Azam will be unhappy with his efforts in the first Test. Nevertheless, he is a hard-headed man and will be keen to come back stronger. The dismissal shall be a teaching lesson to him that even the best of the players have their off-days.
Conclusion:
The fact that Babar Azam was dismissed for a duck in the first Test against Bangladesh was rather quite unusual. This was especially frustrating for Azam, who would have liked nothing better that scoring a good number of runs. But after such dismissal, it will be a wake up call to him that even the best players on the field have their off days.
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