WEB DESK: During the second Test match against Bangladesh at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, Pakistan’s captain Babar Azam achieved a historic milestone in his cricketing career.
With a resilient knock of 68 runs off 84 balls, featuring 10 boundaries, Babar has now become the sole cricketer to accumulate over 9,000 international runs in the current decade. He reached this significant figure in his 212th international appearance of the 2020s, demonstrating remarkable consistency across all formats. His stats in this period include 67 half-centuries and 17 centuries, with an average of 42.53.
In the race for the most runs in the decade, Joe Root of England is second with 8,305 runs from 120 matches, while Mohammad Rizwan of Pakistan is third with 7,779 runs in 199 matches
Top Run-scorers of the 2020s (so far):
– Babar Azam (Pakistan) – 9,060 runs
– Joe Root (England) – 8,305 runs
– Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan) – 7,779 runs
– Kusal Mendis (Sri Lanka) – 7,046 runs
– Pathum Nissanka (Sri Lanka) – 6,873 runs
– Virat Kohli (India) – 6,771 runs
– Litton Das (Bangladesh) – 6,763 runs
Additionally, Babar matched Australian star Steve Smith’s record in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) during this match. By achieving his 31st half-century in Tests, Babar became the joint third-highest scorer in WTC history in terms of half-centuries, sharing this position with Smith and Zak Crawley of England.
He also notched his 20th fifty in the WTC in just his 39th Test, placing him in a tie for third place on the all-time list. Joe Root remains second with 22 half-centuries, while Marnus Labuschagne leads with 24.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh has taken control of the second and final Test, extending their advantage at the close of day two. Batting in their second innings, the hosts finished at 110 for 3 in 26.4 overs, with a lead of 156 runs. Skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto remained unbeaten on 13, while Mominul Haque was dismissed on the last ball of the day.
Earlier, Pakistan was bowled out for 232 in their first innings, which gave Bangladesh a 46-run lead going into the second innings.
