A gutsy knock from Babar Azam helped Pakistan to build a 124-run lead over West Indies on the third day o﷽f the first Test at Sabina Park on Saturday. The visitors were 160 for 5 in their second innings at stumps on a lengtꦅhy rain-interrupted day.
Babar (54 not out) added a threatening fifth-wicket partnership of 56 runs with Mohammad Rizwan, who was caught behind for 30 on Jason Holder’s superb leg-cutter in the 46th over.
Pakistan had a lead of only 85 runs at that point, and the Windies held the upper hand. But Babar and Faheem Ashraf (12 not out) batt💜ed well for the remaining day, adding a patient 39-run partnership in gloomy conditions with the lights on and spinners bowling from both ends.
“On a pitch that is pretty tough I think we are are in good stead in the game, five wickets from bowling them out,” said West Indies pacer Kemar Roach, who finished the day with 2/15 in his 15 overs.
Brief scores: Pakistan 217 & 160/5 (Babar Azam 54*, Abid Ali🍒 34; Kemar Roach 2-15, Jayden Seales 2-50) lead West Indies 253 (Kraigg Brathwaite 97, Jason Holder 58; Shaheen Afridi 4-59) by 124 runs.
Here’s how Twitter reacted:
Another day another fifty for king Babar azam ❤
— Zartasha 🇵🇰 (@Aish_aa_)
Ian Bishop on Babar Azam "That's the highest class of Babar Azam , The only thing you see better is his his cover driver"
— Mazhar🇵🇰 (@Malikg091)
Big opportunity for Babar Azam to produce his first player-of-the-match effort in Tests. Pakistan effectively 47-4 and lꦏooking put a decent target for West Indies.
— Mazher Arshad (@MazherArshad)
Babar Azam leading from the front with the bat, conceding a lead of 36 then Pakistan was 65 for 4 in the second innings and Babar batt✃ing on unbeaten 54 runs from 139 balls including 7 fours helped to get a lead of 124 runs with 5 wickets in hand.
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns)
Another Day, Another 50 by Babar Azam ❤️, ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ🔯ᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚA skipper is Leading from the front 🔥, InshaAllah, he wille save the match for Pakistan 🇵🇰
— Adv. Mian Omer🇵🇰 (@Iam_Mian)
//twitter.com/asad_qureshi258/status/14267097893♛46869251
/💃/twitter.co꧒m/TweetsMani14/status/1426443734770671616
Babar Azam played a captain's innings Completed his test fifty. Nit out on 53*(121). Faheem on 9*(61).
Now Pakistan lead is 120 runs.— Surinder (@navsurani)
Ian Bishop "This man [Babar Azam] is world class on your screen right now, in case you just came out from a foreign planet and dropped onto earth and you didn't know anything about him" ✅👌
— Misha Fatima (@Babar_thechamp)
it's 4 am but you're still up to watching Babar Azam half century, han bas yehi piyar hai ❤️ |
— Muhammad Wajahaꦿt 🇵🇰♥️ (@SC_Mwajahat901)
" This Man [Babar Azam] On Your Screen Right Now Is A World Class BaTsman, In Case You JusT Came OuT From A Foreign PlaneT And Dropped OnTo EarTh And You Didn't Know Anything AbouT Him "
– Ian Bishop 🎙️
— M S C 🇵🇰 (@_friendlycheema)
Pakistan effectively 124/5 at the end of Day 3 with Ba♎bar Azam batting strong at 54*.
The play will resume at 7:30 PM PKT to cover for the lost overs today. Hopefully, Babar and ꦇFaheem would add another 100 runs to this tot🐼al to have something to defend.
— Israr Ahmed Hashmi (@IamIsrarHashmi)
Fighting fifty by Babar Azam!!
— Ahmed.. 🇵🇰🇵🇸 (@nwgenerationX)
