Pakistan’s Test captain Babar Azam’s omission from the second Test against England has sparked a debate about his form and comparisons with India’s Virat Kohli. Azam’s last half-century in the format came in December 2022, and his average in his last 17 Test innings is a meager 20.70.
On Ravichandran Ashwin’s YouTube channel, the former India spinner weighed in on the discussion. “Definitely, if he is given a chance, he will score runs. If there is class, that’s okay. I feel we should end this debate once and for all,” Ashwin said.
However, Ashwin drew a clear distinction between Azam and Kohli. “First of all, across the border, Babar Azam and Virat Kohli shouldn’t be mentioned in the same line,” he asserted. “I am very sorry, I really rate Babar Azam as an outstanding player, but Virat Kohli’s credentials are something else. Across terrains, across times, across pressure situations, the kind of heists he has done, no one has done that in world cricket.”
Ashwin’s comments highlight the immense respect he holds for Kohli’s achievements. Kohli has amassed over 25,000 international runs across all formats, including 71 centuries. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of all time.
Pakistan’s Test struggles have extended beyond Azam’s form. They have not won a Test at home since 2022, losing six out of ten matches and drawing four. In the first Test against England, they became the first team to lose a Test match by an innings after scoring over 500 runs in the first innings.
Ahead of the second Test, Pakistan made the surprising decision to drop Azam, along with pacers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah. Azam’s scores of 30 and five in the first Test were not enough to save his place in the team.
Pakistan will be desperate to end their winless streak in the second Test. However, they will face a formidable England side that is brimming with confidence after their dominant performance in the first match.
