Babar’s achievement puts him alongside England’s Joe Root, Ben Stokes and Sri Lanka’s Dimuth Karunaratne. Babar Azam may not have ended Pakistan’s third Test against England with a century, but his 76 in the second innings brought another significant milestone in his Test career. The Pakistan captain crossed 2,000 runs as a skipper in the World Test Championship during the ongoing match at Edgbaston, becoming only the fourth player to reach the landmark. He also became only the second Asian captain after Karunaratne to move past the 2,000 run mark in WTC cricket. Current reports list Babar’s tally at 2,017 runs, with his total placing him fourth behind Root, Stokes and Karunaratne.
Babar’s milestone came during Pakistan’s strongest batting display of the Test. The visitors had therefore managed to extend the contest into a fourth day despite being pushed to the brink earlier in the match. Babar’s journey to 2,000 WTC runs as captain has also been notable for its pace. He reached the mark in 43 innings, putting him third on the fastest list. Root and Karunaratne are jointly ahead after reaching 2,000 in 40 innings, while Stokes needed 61 innings. The wider list shows Root at the top with 3,060 runs, followed by Stokes on 2,182 and Karunaratne on 2,160. Babar’s 2,017 places him ahead of West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite, who has 1,994. After trailing England by 320 runs following a first innings total of 133 against England’s 453, Pakistan responded with 449 in their second innings. Shan Masood led the recovery with 95, while Azan Awais made 59 and Babar added his 76. The biggest late contribution came from debutant Razaullah, who smashed 81 from 63 balls with nine sixes and four fours. He shared a 121 run ninth wicket partnership with Mohammad Abbas, who scored 42. Pakistan’s 449 left England needing 130 to win the Test and complete a series sweep.
