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Only 49 overs of play was attainable on Day 1 of England vs Pakistan 1st Test match in Manchester but it was sufficient for Pakistan’s Babar Azam to persuade former England captain Nasser Hussain that he is within the league of Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, Kane Williamson and Joe Root.
When dangerous mild compelled an early shut at Old Trafford, Pakistan had been 139-2, with Babar 69 not out and Shan Masood unbeaten on 46. This was Babar’s fifth consecutive 50-plus rating in as many Tests along with his earlier 5 matches yielding three tons of.
Watching Babar play some breathtaking drives in opposition to the likes of James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Jofra Archer and Chris Woakes, Hussain, who is at present thought to be one of the perfect commentators going round, went on to say that folks don’t discuss Babar a lot as he is not India captain Virat Kohli.
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“If this lad was Virat Kohli, everyone would be talking about it but because it is Babar Azam, no one is talking about it,” mentioned former England captain Nasser Hussain whereas commentating for Sky Sports.
“He’s young, he’s elegant, he’s got all the swagger,” he added.
Hussain additionally added that Babar Azam has compelled method into the highest 5 batsmen of the world, making it ‘Fab Five and no longer Fab Four.
“They keep going on about the ‘Fab Four (Kohli, Australia’s Steve Smith, New Zealand’s Kane Williamson and England captain Joe Root) — it’s the ‘Fab Five’ and Babar Azam is in that.”
England coach Chris Silverwood mentioned: “We know we’re up against a very good batsman.”
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Pakistan had been 43-2 when Babar got here in after captain Azhar Ali, who had received the toss, fell lbw for a duck to Chris Woakes.
Babar began cautiously but after lunch he unfurled an array of fashionable attacking pictures en path to a 70-ball fifty that includes 9 fours.
He struck categorical paceman Jofra Archer down the bottom earlier than driving Bess for one more boundary to deliver up Pakistan’s hundred.
Bess, nevertheless, ought to have eliminated Masood for 45 when he took the left-hander’s exterior edge but Buttler dropped the prospect.
When play resumed within the early night after a protracted rain delay, Root was quickly bowling his occasional off-breaks in tandem with Bess to attempt to maintain the match going below gray skies after Archer had pitched quick to Babar.
But even with two spinners bowling and the floodlights on, the umpires nonetheless referred to as a halt at 6:12 pm (1712 GMT) earlier than the bottom was bathed in sunshine quickly afterwards.
Ahead of the Test match, Pakistan’s captain Azhar Ali had additionally shared comparable phrases about Babar.
Azhar, requested if the England sequence would see Babar be a part of Australia’s Steve Smith and India’s Virat Kohli within the prime bracket of Test batsmen, instructed British media: “I think he is right up there already.
“People are thinking and talking about it. He is just hungry for runs and I think if he keeps doing that he will be up there for quite a long time.
“His performances have improved massively in Test matches over the last year or so. Firstly, he was performing really well in white-ball cricket and people thought he was only a white-ball player but he took on that challenge and played with a lot of freedom and flair.”
(With company inputs)
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