Pakistan's World Test Championship (WTC) cycle has begun with a test series against Bangladesh at home. In the first Test between both teams, currently being played in Rawalpindi, Pakistan faced a significant challenge after losing 3 wickets while batting first.
Abdullah Shafique was the first to depart, followed by Shan Masood. All eyes were on Babar Azam, the former skipper, but unfortunately, he failed to perform and returned to the pavilion after facing only two balls, resulting in a duck.
In the 8th over, Babar attempted to guide the ball down the leg-side, but Litton Das made a remarkable one-handed catch to dismiss Azam.
Following Babar's dismissal, fans took to 'X' to express their disappointment and criticism towards the right-hand batter for his poor performance at home. This marked his first duck in Test cricket at home, leading to heavy criticism and trolling.
The reactions on social media were swift and harsh towards Babar Azam's performance.
It is noteworthy that Babar Azam last scored a half-century in Test cricket in December 2022. Currently, he is facing challenges in his batting performance and is also under scrutiny for his captaincy. Although he is no longer the captain in Test cricket, his role as the white-ball captain has come into question following the team's premature exits from the 2023 World Cup and the T20 World Cup in 2024.
Pakistan ended Day 1 on 158/4 with Mohammad Rizwan and Saud Shakeel on the crease with score of 24*, 57* respectively.
Also read| PAK vs BAN, 1st Test: Pakistan captain Shan Masood furious with third umpire's controversial call - Watch
