Babar Azam breaks Ben Stokes’ World Test Championship record during BAN vs PAK second Test

NEW DELHI: Babar Azam played a gritty knock under pressure to pull Pakistan out of trouble on Day 2 of the second Test against Bangladesh in Sylhet.Returning to the playing XI after missing the opening Test with a left knee injury, Babar arrived at the crease with Pakistan struggling at 23/2 after both openers were dismissed cheaply. Pakistan were already under pressure after suffering a 104-run defeat in the first Test of the series. Earlier, Bangladesh had posted 278 in their first innings, riding on a magnificent century from Litton Das on Day 1.Facing a challenging situation, Babar countered with a fluent 68 off 84 deliveries. His innings, decorated with 10 boundaries, helped stabilise the Pakistan innings before he was eventually dismissed by Nahid Rana.The half-century also helped Babar achieve a notable feat in the ICC World Test Championship. With his latest fifty, he moved past Ben Stokes in the list of players with the most half-centuries in World Test Championship history.Babar now has 20 fifties in 39 WTC matches and 71 innings. The Pakistan batter has accumulated 3,196 runs at an average of 48.42, including eight centuries, with a best score of 196.Joe Root tops the list with 45 fifty-plus scores in 74 matches. The England batter has scored 6,480 runs in 136 innings at an average of 52.25, including 23 hundreds and 22 fifties.Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne sits second with 35 fifty-plus scores from 58 matches. He has scored 4,484 runs at an average of 46.22, registering 11 centuries and 24 fifties.Another Australian great, Steve Smith, has 34 fifty-plus scores in 59 matches. Smith has amassed 4,564 runs at an average of 50.15, with 14 centuries and 20 fifties.Stokes, now overtaken by Babar, has managed 3,800 runs in 62 matches at an average of 35.84, including eight hundreds and 19 half-centuries.

Australia batter Travis Head is next with 26 fifty-plus scores in 57 matches. He has scored 3,929 runs at an average of 42.70, with 11 centuries and 15 fifties.England opener Zak Crawley has recorded 24 fifty-plus scores from 57 matches, scoring 3,314 runs at an average of 31.86, including four centuries and 20 fifties.India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has registered 23 fifty-plus scores in 48 matches. Jadeja has scored 2,610 runs at an average of 42.78, with five centuries and 18 fifties.Sri Lanka skipper Dimuth Karunaratne has 22 fifty-plus scores in 35 matches, accumulating 2,642 runs at an average of 40.64, including six hundreds and 16 fifties.India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant also has 22 fifty-plus scores in 40 matches. Pant has scored 2,780 runs at an average of 41.49, with six centuries and 16 half-centuries.