WITH HIS NINTH TEST CENTURY AGAINST NEW ZEALAND, BABAR AZAM SHATTERS THE HUMBLING CAPTAINCY RECORDS OF RICKY PONTING AND BRIAN LARA

Babar's leadership's potency was also questioned. But on the first day of the first Test against New Zealand in Karachi, he silenced the doubters with an outstanding century.

It hasn't been the greatest of times for Pakistan cricket or captain Babar Azam with the team suffering a humiliating whitewash at home against England, which finally led to the resignation of Ramiz Raja as PCB chairman and the Muhammad Wasim-led selection panel. Babar's leadership's potency was also questioned. But on the first day of the first Test against New Zealand in Karachi, he silenced the doubters with an outstanding century.

Pakistan's Monday performance was terrible as they lost three wickets for just 48 runs in 15 overs. Tim Southee of New Zealand quickly broke Saud Shakeel and Babar's 62-run partnership despite the fact that he seemed to be making a fight.

Pakistan desperately needed a partnership, but their captain needed to step up most of all. Sarfaraz Ahmed, who served as the previous captain and was playing in his first Test after almost four years since his last match against South Africa in 2019, was a big help to Babar, but he also had to fight hard against the New Zealand attack to register his eighth Test century.

With the tonne, he surpassed Ricky Ponting's previous record for the most fifty-plus runs in a calendar year in international cricket. Ponting held the record for the most such scores with 24 until Babar in Karachi recorded his 25th fifty-plus score to exceed it. This mark had stood for 17 long years. The total includes 17 1950s and eight tonnes. He eclipsed Mahela Jayawardene, Graeme Smith, Australian Steve Smith, and legendary West Indian Brian Lara on the list of captains with the most international tonnes in a calendar year with these eight hundreds. Eight centuries in 2022 by Babar are third-best in history.

Thanks to the knock, Babar has the most Test runs among players in 2022. Additionally, he has scored more runs than any other Pakistani batsman this year with 2542 across all three forms, surpassing former cricketer and current batting instructor Mohammad Yousuf.