For a batter who once seemed to make Test hundreds almost on demand, Babar Azam’s wait for another three-figure score has become remarkably long. Babar’s last Test century came on December 26, 2022, when he made a brilliant 161 against New Zealand in Karachi. That innings was his ninth Test hundred and capped a remarkable 2022 in which he scored 1,184 Test runs, including four centuries.Since then, the Pakistan captain has played 17 Tests and 36 innings without reaching 100. The drought has stretched through home series, overseas tours, changes in captaincy and a succession of scores that suggested a century was always around the corner, but never quite arrived.And the latest England series has added another chapter. It started immediately after the 161The century drought effectively began in the very next innings after Babar’s 161. He was dismissed for 14 in the second innings of that New Zealand Test, before scoring 24 and 27 in the second Test in Karachi. The 2023 tour of Sri Lanka brought scores of 13, 24 and 39, while the subsequent tour of Australia produced 21, 14, 1, 41, 26 and 23 across three Tests.The 41 at Melbourne was his highest Test score of the period at the time, but it was another innings that ended before he could build a substantial score.
2024: The drought turns into a crisis
Babar’s struggles became even more pronounced in 2024. Against Bangladesh, he managed 0, 22, 31 and 11 across the two Tests. Then came the home series against England, where he made only 30 in the first Test at Multan. He was dismissed LBW by Chris Woakes on a pitch where Shan Masood and Abdullah Shafique both scored centuries.That 30 extended his run of innings without even a Test fifty. His fortunes finally changed in South Africa at the end of the year. Babar scored 50 in the first Test at Centurion, his first Test fifty since the 161 against New Zealand, before going one better in the second Test at Cape Town.There, he made 58 in the first innings and 81 in the second, falling 19 runs short of what would have been his 10th Test century.
2025: Getting close, but never close enough
Babar began 2025 with that 81 against South Africa as one of the highlights of the year. Across the two-Test series, he accumulated 193 runs, with a best of 81 and three fifties, but still no century. The pattern continued through the rest of the year. His calendar-year Test numbers were considerably better than in 2023 and 2024, but the hundred remained elusive. His best score in 2025 was 81.
2026: The biggest missed chance – 88 against West Indies
In the second Test at Port of Spain, Babar made 88, putting himself just 12 runs away from the milestone. He was eventually run out by Brandon King after a mix-up, ending another promising attempt at his 10th Test century. Earlier in the series, he had also made 58 not out in the first Test chase, but Pakistan lost by 90 runs.Babar’s 193 runs in the two-Test West Indies series, including the 88 and an unbeaten 24, briefly lifted him back into the ICC Test top 10. Yet the century still refused to come.
Bangladesh offered another opening
Before the England tour, Babar also scored 68 and 47 in the two-Test series against Bangladesh. The 68 was another useful contribution, but once again he failed to turn a start into the hundred that has been missing from his Test record for nearly four years.
England: Injury, comeback and another failure
Babar missed the first Test against England at Headingley after suffering a finger injury. Pakistan went on to lose by an innings and 103 runs. He returned for the second Test at Lord’s after declaring himself 90 per cent fit.But the comeback has so far failed to provide the response Pakistan wanted. In Pakistan’s first innings at Lord’s, Babar was dismissed for 8, caught by Jordan Cox off Josh Tongue as Pakistan collapsed to 110 all out.Chasing 389 in the second innings, Pakistan again lost Babar early. Jofra Archer’s pace and bounce forced an awkward shot, with the ball ballooning to Jordan Cox at third slip. Babar departed for just 6.Two innings. Two low scores. Still no century.
