RAWALPINDI: Pakistan’s top batsman Babar Azam broke a lengthy century drought in international cricket, scoring his 32nd century during the second ODI against Sri Lanka at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Friday.
The right-handed batter reached the three-figure mark for the first time in 807 days, bringing up his milestone off 115 balls with a single pulled shot against Pramod Madushan. This century was particularly significant as it also marked his return to the coveted 100-run barrier after a dry spell that saw him accumulate 20 half-centuries across formats without reaching three digits. His previous century was an impressive 151 against Nepal in the ODI format during the Asia Cup in August 2023, where he scored 18 boundaries and four sixes.
Since then, Babar’s form has waned, and he has faced difficulties in crossing the three-figure threshold across all formats over the past year and a quarter. Earlier in this series, during the opening ODI, Babar showed promising signs until Wanindu Hasaranga dismissed him with a clever googly.His latest century, achieved on his 84th international innings since his last century, also saw him match the record for most ODI centuries by a Pakistani player, tying Saeed Anwar’s tally of 20 centuries. Anwar reached this milestone in 247 ODIs.
This innings not only ended a long wait but also reaffirmed Babar Azam’s status as one of Pakistan’s premier batsmen, bringing a much-needed boost to his confidence and the team’s prospects.
