Babar Azam, the former captain of Pakistan, marked his return to form by scoring his first One-Day International (ODI) fifty since last year, with 73 runs off 95 balls against South Africa during the second ODI at Newlands, Cape Town on December 19, 2024. This significant achievement came after 22 innings without reaching the half-century mark, showcasing his skill and technique after some challenging performances across formats.
Opening the innings, Babar faced early challenges when teammate Abdullah Shafique was dismissed for a duck after just one delivery, thanks to Marco Jansen's incisive bowling. Despite this early setback, Babar remained focused and economically built his innings, forming important partnerships, including 48 runs with Saim Ayub and 115 runs with captain Mohammad Rizwan for the third wicket.
During his innings, Babar showcased exquisite strokes, particularly his cover drive, which was on full display against Jansen. The left-arm pacer bowled a full delivery just outside off stump; Babar leaned gracefully and directed the ball through the cover point region with finesse. The innings not only reflected Babar's technical prowess but also his determination to break the lean patch he has been experiencing lately.
Babar's 73 included seven boundaries and came at a time when his form had been under scrutiny. Notably, his last international fifty was back on November 6, 2023, against New Zealand during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup when he scored 66 not out. Since then, he had faced steep difficulties, averaging just 18.50 across Test matches and struggling to find run-scoring rhythm, which amplified the significance of this innings for him and the team.
Pakistan had batted first after South Africa won the toss and opted to chase, which provided insight on the strategic decisions made by both teams. While Babar's efforts laid down the foundation for Pakistan's total of 329, their innings faced bumps as both Abdullah Shafique and Saim Ayub fell at early stages. The partnership between Babar and Rizwan was pivotal, especially as it followed the early wickets, propelling Pakistan to safer territory.
After Babar's dismissal, which came as he attempted to accelerate with some aggressive shots, Andile Phehlukwayo accepted the catch off his own bowling. Nevertheless, Babar's exit did not stifle the momentum entirely, as Kamran Ghulam posted 63 runs off just 32 balls, helping Pakistan reach 329 runs.
This innings was not Babar's only achievement on the day; he registered his 33rd fifty in ODIs. The scoring spree against South Africa also enabled him to surpass the legendary MS Dhoni on the list of players with the most fifty-plus scores (38) across South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia (SENA) regions. Babar's career runs now tally over 14,000, highlighting his place among the elite batsmen of the game.
For South Africa, the takeaways were mixed. While they managed to restrict the opposition to 329, the chase was fraught with its challenges. South Africa's performance was punctuated by early departures, struggling to find consistent partnerships to match Pakistan's scoring. Amidst their batting woes, Heinrich Klaasen stood out, yet he could not lead his team to chase down the target set, and South Africa ended at 209 for 7 after 38 overs, reflecting the pressure exerted by Pakistan's bowling unit.
Babar's return to form bears significance, especially since he had been recently left out of the captaincy role following Pakistan's performance fatigue during their exit from the World Cup. The innings at Newlands might very well mark the pivot point from which Babar can reinvent his ODI role, aiming for leads within the team and as the batsman who can build on foundations for scores.
Overall, this match encapsulated Babar's talent and resilience, proving he can bounce back, and substantially contributing to Pakistan's narrative as they seek to solidify their standing against competitive teams. With the broader ODI series still underway and the batsman's individual form stabilizing, cricket enthusiasts will be eager to see whether he can maintain this momentum moving forward.
