Babar Azam is the heart of Pakistan’s test cricket team. Since making his debut in 2016, Babar Azam has become the backbone of Pakistan’s test cricket. With over 4,000 test runs with an impressive average of 42+, Babar produced match-winning knocks against top-quality bowling lineups. His elegant stroke play, ability to handle the pressure, and consistency make him the most reliable option for the Pakistan test team. Beyond this, Babar’s calm presence inspired the dressing room. He proved invaluable in rebuilding the side’s confidence and competitiveness in test cricket. This journey shows his brilliant technique, strong mind, and big role in making Pakistan competitive again.
From Karachi Debut to Global Respect — Babar Azam’s Rise in Test Cricket
Babar Azam made his international debut against Zimbabwe in 2015 in front of his home crowd in Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. His important 50 runs in his debut game showed that he can become a big player for Pakistan in the future. In 1 year, Babar Azam made impressive improvements as an ODI batter for Pakistan. After his brilliant performance in white-ball cricket, Babar Azam made his international debut for Pakistan in 2016.
A Debut Under Pressure (2016 vs West Indies)
Babar Azam created a remarkable record against the West Indies. He scored three consecutive centuries against the West Indies in the ODI series. These records led Babar Azam to get a chance in test cricket. Therefore 2016, Babar Azam made his well-deserved test debut in Dubai. In his first game, despite being under pressure, Babar played with full confidence. He scored 69 in the first innings and 21 in 2nd innings of that game. Pakistan won that game by 56 runs, and with that game, Babar Azam started his journey as a test batter for Pakistan.
Building a Name in the Middle Order
2017 was a massive year in Pakistan test cricket as two great players of the Pakistan test side, Younis Khan and Misbah ul Haq, announced their retirement. It was a difficult phase for the Pakistan test side. But on the side, it was a massive opportunity for Babar Azam to fill the place of these legends in the Pakistan test side.
Babar’s starting phase in test cricket was not that good compared to his ODI format. In 2016 and 2017, Babar scored only 475 runs in 11 games for Pakistan. The year 2018 was the year when Babar started to adapt to test cricket. Babar scored his first-ever test hundred in 2018 against New Zealand. With the performances in 2018, Babar Azam made a solid name as a middle-order batter for the Pakistan test side.
Breakthrough Year and Ranking Rise
From 2019 to 2021 was the golden period for Babar Azam in the test format. Babar started to take that format seriously and scored runs for Pakistan. In 2019, Babar Azam scored 616 runs in 6 games with a magnificent average of 68.44. Babar Azam scored three hundreds and three fifties for Pakistan in that year in test cricket.
That same year, Babar Azam scored his first hundred against Australia on their home soil. In 2020, Babar maintained an average of 67.60 and scored 338 runs in 4 games. With these impressive records and achievements, Babar became the #2 test batter in the ICC Ranking with 882 points.
Leadership Tested — Babar Azam as Test Captain
When Babar Took the Helm
After impressive records and achievements, Babar Azam took the responsibility of the batting department as a test batter. But the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) gave him another important responsibility as test captain. It was a massive task for Babar Azam to build a quality test side.
In 2019, Azhar Ali was announced as the test captain for Pakistan, replacing Sarfaraz Ahmed. But his records as captain did bring the results in favor of Pakistan. So, in 2021, Babar Azam was announced as the test captain for the Pakistan cricket team.
Captaincy Highlights and Series Outcomes
Babar Azam led the Pakistan test team for 20 games. In these 20 games, Pakistan won 10 games, four draws, and six loses. Babar Azam won his first-ever series as captain against South Africa. South Africa visited Pakistan after so a long time for test cricket. Therefore, it was a massive opportunity for Pakistan and Babar Azam to win a test series in front of their home crowd.
Besides this, Babar won away test series against Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh as captain of Pakistan. Under his captaincy, Pakistan drew a series against New Zealand and the West Indies. Pakistan lost 2 test series under the captaincy of Babar Azam against Australia and England.
Balancing Bat and Leadership
After taking the responsibility of Captaincy, Babar Azam improved a lot as a batter. As captain of the Pakistan cricket team, Babar Azam scored 1727 runs with an average of 50.79. Babar Azam scored 4 centuries and 11 fifties as the test captain for Pakistan. Compared to captaincy and non-captaincy records in tests, Babar showed impressive performances as captain. Babar took the responsibility very smartly in Favor of Pakistan as a batter and captain of the Pakistan test team.
Numbers That Matter — A Statistical Look at Babar Azam’s Test Career
Career Stats at a Glance
| Category | Details |
| Total Test Matches | 66 |
| Total Innings Played | 119 innings |
| Total Runs Scored | 4,235 runs |
| Batting Average | 41.12 |
| Highest Score | 196 vs Australia at Karachi (March 2022) |
| Centuries (100+) | 9 centuries |
| Half-Centuries (50–99) | 29 fifties |
| Not Outs | 5 career not-outs |
| Consistency | 38 scores of 50+ |
| Career Span | 2016 – 2025 (9 years of Test cricket) |
| Key Opponents | Most runs scored against Australia, Sri Lanka, and New Zealand |
| Memorable Knock | 196 off 425 balls vs Australia in Karachi (saved the Test, March 2022) |
The test career of Babar as a batter makes Babar Azam one of the top batters in Pakistan’s test history. His performances for Pakistan in test cricket are just remarkable. Despite being out of form, Babar still manages a test average of 41+. With 9 centuries and 29 fifties, Babar Azam played a key role in the victories of Pakistan in test cricket. One memorable innings of Babar Azam was 196 against Australia in Karachi. It was not just a personal milestone, but it proved to be a savour for Pakistan to draw that test match.
Home vs Away Performances
| Condition | Innings | Runs | Average | Centuries | Fifties |
| Home (2019–2025) | 33 | 1,635 | 52.74 | 6 | 7 |
| Away (2016–2025) | 60 | 2,073 | 37.69 | 2 | 18 |
| Neutral (2016–2018) | 15 | 527 | 40.53 | 1 | 4 |
| Overall | 108 | 4,235 | 41.12 | 9 | 29 |
Babar Azam has an impressive record on home soil. The conditions favour his batting style. However, Babar loves to play in South Africa and Australia as well. But when the test cricket returned to Pakistan, Babar adapted to these conditions really well with the bat.
He scored 1635 runs with an exceptional batting average of 52.74. Babar Azam scored crucial runs for Pakistan in test cricket in the UAE. Although these conditions are tough for the batter, Babar’s solid technique helped him score important runs for Pakistan.
How He Compares to Pakistan’s Greats
| Player | Innings | Runs | Average | Centuries |
| Younis Khan | 213 | 10,099 | 52.05 | 34 |
| Inzamam-ul-Haq | 198 | 8,829 | 50.16 | 25 |
| Mohammad Yousuf | 156 | 7,530 | 52.29 | 24 |
| Babar Azam | 108 | 4,235 | 42.77 | 9 |
Comparing Babar Azam with the legends of Pakistan’s test side, Babar has to work really hard to reach the level of performance of these legends. Players like Younis Khan, who has scored more than 10,000 runs in tests. His test average was 52.05, and the only player to score 10,000 test runs for Pakistan. Babar Azam started really well and maintained the average of 50+ till 2022. But after that, Babar is struggling with his form in all formats of the game.
Due to his lack of performance, Babar’s test average has dropped to 42.77. Another massive problem that Babar is facing to playing big innings in test cricket. After playing 108 innings in his test career, Babar has failed to score a single double-hundred in his entire career. While Younis Khan has scored 6, Mohammad Yousaf has scored four, and Inzamam ul Haq has scored 2 test double hundreds for Pakistan. Babar really has to work hard to be in the list of top players for Pakistan in test cricket.
Signature Innings — Babar Azam’s Most Memorable Test Performances
Karachi 196 vs Australia – A Captain’s Statement
Babar Azam scored 196 runs against Australia in 2022. It is the highest runs score for Babar Azam in test cricket. This innings was more than just a personal milestone. It was a crucial innings for Pakistan to save the test match. Pakistan is chasing a 506-run target against Australia in Karachi, 2022. After a below-average performance in the first innings, Pakistan has a huge total to chase.
Chasing this massive total, two wickets of Pakistan were taken out cheaply. Then Babar came and played knock, which he will remember for a long time. He scored a crucial 196 runs for Pakistan and took the game to a draw. Along with Babar, Mohammad Rizwan scored an important 104 runs in this innings to save the game for Pakistan.
143 vs Bangladesh – Building a Team Anchor
In starting of 2020, Bangladesh visited for a test series. Babar shone in this game as he scored 143 runs in this game. His innings of 143 runs was an exhibition of technique, skills, temperament, and pure class. This innings showed that Babar can play big innings for Pakistan in test cricket.
Bangladesh batted first and scored 233 runs. In reply, Pakistan scored 445 runs. To achieve that total, Shan and Babar Azam scored a hundred for Pakistan. Pakistan is coming from an important tour in Australia.
In Australia, Babar scored a hundred on the tough pitch of the Gabba. Babar took that momentum forward against Bangladesh and scored an important 143 runs. But unfortunately, Babar did not take that innings forward and got run after making 143 runs. This innings helped Pakistan to win this game by one innings and 44 runs.
Rescuing Pakistan vs England – A Battle of Grit
Pakistan visited England in tough conditions. That tour was not according to the expectations for Pakistan. Pakistan lost the 3-match series 1-0. But in the 3rd game, Babar Azam showed impressive resilience to take the game to a draw. In the 3rd game, England posted a massive total of 583 runs with the exceptional innings of Zak Crawly of 267.
Pakistan got out cheaply on 287 runs in the first innings. But coming in 2nd innings, Pakistan looked in a stable position. Pakistan posted 187 runs in the 2nd innings and were able to draw the game. In the 2nd innings, Babar Azam scored 74 runs in that game. But his innings of 63 in the 2nd innings was crucial to draw the game.
Babar Azam showed great class, technique, and skills facing top-quality bowlers like James Anderson, Stuart Broad. His brilliant class helped his side draw this game. Although Pakistan lost that series, but performance from Babar showed that he is ready for test cricket for Pakistan. In that tour, Pakistan’s batting lineup struggled. Therefore, that type of inning from a young batter boosts the morale of the dressing room and the young player as well.
Beyond Stats — Why Babar’s Test Career Inspires a Generation
Technical Excellence in a T20 Era
Babar has shown magnificent performances in T20 cricket. His records and achievements always make him one of the top players of Pakistan in T20 cricket. Besides batting, Babar Azam has done an excellent job as captain for Pakistan in T20 cricket. Under the Captaincy of Babar Azam, Pakistan 2 World Cups. In 2021 T20 World Cup, Pakistan reached semi-finals while in 2022 Pakistan played the final of T20 World Cup. Pakistan played the T20 World Cup after 13 years in the 2022 T20 World Cup.
Under Babar Azam, Pakistan played the Asia Cup final after 8 years. Babar Azam became the first T20 captain for Pakistan to score a T20 hundred. He scored 122 runs against South Africa. He is also the only Pakistani player and captain to score three hundreds in T20 cricket. These performances and achievements from Babar showed that he is a brilliant asset for Pakistan in T20 cricket.
Global Respect from Peers and Critics
The performances and records that Babar holds in a short period of his career are just phenomenal. His stats get him praises from legend of cricket legends. Former Australian captain, Ricky Ponting, said about Babar, “classy and gifted player with ‘the sky is the limit’ potential, particularly in white-ball cricket.”
Former England Captain, Michael Vaughan, slammed PCB for dropping Babar Azam recently due to his bad form. He said, “I guess Pakistan cricket is full of surprises, but this tops the lot. Absolutely stupid decision. Unless he has asked for a break.” These types of remarks from legends of cricket legends really boost the confidence of a player.
Cricket legends always praise the technique and skills that Babar possesses. Babar Azam became the ICC ODI Player of the Year in 2021. At the same time, he was the captain of T20 and ODI cricket in the ICC Teams of the Year of 2021. Babar has won 3 ICC Player of the Month awards, which showed his consistency and discipline as a batter for Pakistan.
What the Future Holds for Babar in Tests
Looking at the recent past performances of Babar Azam, he has to work a lot on his form. In 2022, Babar’s annual test average was 69.64. But in the recent 3 years, his average has dropped to 30 in 2025. Where Babar scored four hundreds in 2022, in the past 3 years, Babar has only scored three fifties with zero hundreds. Babar is the backbone of Pakistan’s middle order and the most experienced batter in the side after Shan Masood.
His runs with the bat are very important for Pakistan to get valuable points in the WTC Cycle 2025-27. Pakistan has never played the WTC Final. Therefore, if Pakistan wants to play the WTC 2025-27 final, then Babar’s form with the bat is very important.
In the next WTC Cycle, Pakistan will play against New Zealand, South Africa, England, Sri Lanka, the West Indies, and Bangladesh. Every game and series is very important for Pakistan to get a place in the WTC final. The test series against England will away series, and it will be tough conditions for Pakistan.
But it is also a golden chance for Babar to get in form and score runs for Pakistan in that series. Babar has never scored a hundred in England. Therefore, it will be very important for Babar to score runs for Pakistan in that series.
FAQs
1. What is Babar Azam’s highest score in Test cricket?
Babar Azam scored 196 runs against Australia, which is his highest score in test cricket.
2. How many Test centuries has Babar Azam scored?
Babar Azam has scored 9 test hundreds for Pakistan.
3. When did Babar become Pakistan’s Test captain?
In 2021, Babar Azam replaced Azhar Ali to become Pakistan’s test captain.