On a flat surface with nothing to offer for the bowlers, Pakistan batters enjoyed their batting as skipper Shan Masood hit a century after four years, while Abdullah Shafique hit his 5th Test century of his career, but there was still no luck for Babar Azam as he failed to make a significant score yet again.
After Saim Ayub got dismissed, Masood and Shafique brought up a massive partnership of 253 runs. When both of them departed in the third session, Babar Azam stepped on the pitch with Saud Shakeel to bat.
The pitch was set like a golden opportunity for Babar to get a hold of some runs. However, he was dismissed by star England pacer Chris Woakes. Babar walked back after just 9 balls on the first day.
This was the 17th innings for Babar Azam as his poor display of test cricket without a half-century continued on. The last time he scored a half-century was 648 days ago (on 26 December, 2022) against New Zealand.
Babar scored 161 runs the last time when he crossed the 50-run mark, and ever since then, he has only been falling down with his numbers. Babar has only scored 361 runs in 17 innings, with the highest score being 41 runs.
