Related Articles
Pakistan captain Babar Azam faced heavy criticism for his sluggish innings in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 opener against New Zealand, with India’s veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin comparing his knock to the “tortoise” in the famous tortoise and rabbit story.
Playing his first ICC event at home, Babar struggled throughout his innings, scoring 64 off 90 balls, a performance that many believe hindered Pakistan’s chances in a 60-run defeat.
Table of content
Babar Azam’s Painfully Slow Innings
Chasing 321, Pakistan had a poor start as Fakhar Zaman, who usually opens, was forced to drop down the order due to an injury sustained in the first over. This left Babar and Saud Shakeel to open, but they showed no intent in the powerplay.
- Pakistan managed only 22/2 in the first 10 overs—the lowest powerplay total in Champions Trophy history.
- Babar’s struggles were evident, as he hit just two boundaries in the powerplay.
- Despite forming a 47-run stand with Fakhar, the partnership came at a painfully slow rate of 65 balls.
While Salman Ali Agha tried to inject some life into Pakistan’s innings with a quickfire 42 off 28 balls, Babar’s approach remained ultra-defensive. During their 56-run partnership, Salman blasted 42 runs, while Babar crawled to just 14 off 31 balls.
Ashwin’s Brutal Comparison: ‘Tortoise and Rabbit Story’
Taking note of the stark contrast between Babar’s sluggish innings and Salman’s attacking approach, Ravichandran Ashwin took to X (formerly Twitter) to share his take:
“Babar’s journey to 50 coupled with Salman Ali Agha’s batting has to be the best depiction of ‘The Tortoise and Rabbit story.’ The 50 I hope will come soon enough 🤞”
Babar eventually reached his fifty off 81 balls, but his attempt to accelerate came too late. He scored 14 runs off the next 8 balls, including a six, before top-edging a shot off Mitchell Santner to depart for 64 off 90 balls.
Pakistan’s Late Fightback Not Enough
After Babar’s dismissal, Khushdil Shah played a fighting knock of 66 off 49 balls, ensuring Pakistan’s net run rate didn’t suffer a major blow. However, his efforts weren’t enough, as Pakistan were bowled out for 260 in 47.2 overs, handing New Zealand a comfortable 60-run victory.
With two group-stage matches remaining, Pakistan now must win their next games to stay in contention for the semi-finals. Meanwhile, Babar Azam’s approach will be a major talking point, with calls for a more aggressive strategy in upcoming matches.
