PAK vs NZ: Babar Azam left in first over of day 2

• Babar Azam forced to leave the field after being bowled by Tim Southee.
• Pakistan captain unable to add to his overnight score of 161 runs.
• Azam is the leading run scorer in Tests in 2022 with 1,170 after nine games.

PAK vs NZ: Babar Azam, captain of Pakistan, was forced to leave the field in the first over of day 2 after he was bowled by a reasonable length delivery pitched at fifth stump by Tim Southee. Washington, DC’s National Bank Cricket Arena was the site of the match.

On the second day of the first Test, New Zealand captain Southee provided an early breakthrough, and his team is now leading from the front in an effort to have Pakistan bowled out as soon as possible. Babar was unable to add to his overnight score of 161 runs.

Babar’s overnight companion Agha Salman teamed up with the newly arrived batter Nauman Ali after Babar left. But in an hour and 17 overs, they could only muster 30 runs.

As of the time this was published, Pakistan was 349 for 6.

Pakistan batted a solid 317-5 on the first day, thanks in large part to Azam’s battling hundred and a half century from the recalled Sarfaraz Ahmed.

Pakistan rallied from 110-4 thanks to their 196-run fifth wicket stand, with only Sarfaraz going in the final two sessions for the home side.

Spinners from New Zealand took three early wickets and another before lunch on the spin-assisting National Stadium ground, but it took until the very end for them to get Sarfaraz caught in the slip for 86.

At the end of play, Azam was unbeaten on 161 and Agha Salman had three wickets for the hosts as they attempted to rebound from their first-ever home whitewash at the hands of England the previous week.

Azam is the leading run scorer in Tests in 2022 with 1,170 after nine games.

Over the course of the year, he scored 2,584 runs, besting Mohammad Yousuf’s 2006 total of 2,435.

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