At a glance
- Babar Azam was dismissed for 68 in the second Test against Bangladesh.
- Azam has now gone 31 innings without a Test hundred.
- We look at three batters who are currently on longer century droughts in the format.
Having missed the first Test, former Pakistan captain Babar Azam was dismissed for 68 in the first innings of the second game. Thus, extending his Test century drought to 31 innings.
It would be harsh to suggest that Azam is woefully out of form in the format, however. The 31-year-old has scored five fifties in his last 12 Test innings, including each of his last two knocks.
This is, however, an uncharacteristically long stretch without a hundred for a batter with quality beyond doubt. In fact, this is his joint longest run without a century in Tests, having taken until his 32nd innings to score his maiden hundred.
Babar Azam Test century drought
The last time Babar Azam reached the three-figure mark in Test cricket was all the way back in December 2022. The then-captain scored 161 as his team posted a significant 438 against New Zealand in Karachi. The match would eventually end in a draw.
For Azam, that would be the beginning of a long run of games without a Test hundred. And while he scored 3 white-ball hundreds in 2023, the last of them coming in August against Nepal, he then went two years and 83 innings without an international hundred.
That drought would end with an unbeaten 102 against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi in November last year. The red-ball format would be much harsher on him. Having gone three years without raising his helmet to the heavens in whites, he will want to get the monkey off his back sooner rather than later. However, he isn’t the only one with a long century drought in Test cricket.
3 players with longer Test century droughts than Babar Azam
For the sake of this article, we’re only looking at players who are currently in the middle of a century drought.
Kraigg Brathwaite – 36 innings
Former West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite is without a hundred in his last 36 Test innings. And like Babar Azam, he too was his country’s captain in the format when he scored his last ton.
Opening alongside Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Brathwaite put on a 336-run partnership against Zimbabwe, scoring 182 himself. That match would end in a draw after the West Indies bowlers were unable to bowl out their hosts in time.
Ever since, Brathwaite has struggled for form, scoring just three fifties in those 36 innings. His loss of form also saw the 33-year-old relinquish captaincy.
Marnus Labuschagne – 40 innings
Australian batter Marnus Labuschagne has also been on an uncharacteristically long century drought of his own in Test matches. His terrible run of form extended to the Ashes series played Down Under a few months ago.
He scored just the two fifties against the visiting English side, scoring just the 259 runs in 10 innings. His century drought, however, lasted for 30 innings before that as well.
Labuschagne’s last hundred in the format, in fact, came during Australia’s last visit to England. The right-hander scored an expertly crafted 111 in the third innings in Manchester as rain helped the Aussies see out the Test for a draw.
Will Young – 41 innings
The last player on this list is 33-year-old New Zealand batter Will Young. What separates him from the other players here is the fact that he is yet to record a career Test hundred.
That isn’t to suggest that Young is a quality batter either. He has shown glimpses of that quality in ODIs, scoring four centuries in the shorter format. In Tests, however, he hasn’t been quite as lucky.
The talent has always been there to see though. Young scored important 80s during his maiden innings in both England and India. The former came in a surprise win at Birmingham while the latter was a gritty knock that eventually led to a draw at Kanpur. That elusive Test hundred cannot be too far away,
Stay up to date with all the latest international cricket content with ReadCricket and follow us on instagram.
