One of Pakistan’s most seasoned batsmen, Azhar Ali has decided to end his Test career after the current England series. Azhar will play his final international match for Pakistan in the third Test between the two teams, which will begin in Karachi on December 17th.
Over the course of his career, Azhar, who announced his retirement from international cricket in 2018, has served Pakistan cricket admirably.
The 37-year-old has been a fixture, particularly in the Pakistani red-ball team, for more than a decade thanks to his extreme grit and determination.
Azhar made his Test debut in 2010 and has since played in 96 matches, including nine red-ball matches as Pakistan captain. He will be remembered as one of Pakistan’s most successful Test batsmen at the end of his career with 7097 runs at an average of 42.5, including 35 half-centuries and 19 centuries.
We look at three of Azhar’s greatest Test scores as he gets ready to retire after the upcoming third and final Test against England.
#3 141* in Southampton in 2020 against England
Azhar Ali proved to be Pakistan’s one-man army in difficult conditions against England in Southampton in July 2020.
Azhar came up with a captain’s knock to help his team save the third Test after a difficult start to the three-match series in which they scored just 38 runs in the first two games.
After England scored 583/8 declared in the first innings, Pakistan was under pressure. In difficult conditions, Azhar walked to the crease in the third over with one batsman down and managed to stay unbeaten.
As the top-order batters around him failed, the visitors were in dire straits at 75-5. However, Azhar did get some help from Mohammad Rizwan, with whom he made a 138-run partnership for the sixth wicket.
Azhar hit 21 boundaries in a match against four good seamers, James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Jofra Archer, and Chris Woakes. Azhar made his first century in almost two years, going unbeaten on 141 while the other Pakistani batters only managed 119 runs.
The hosts won the series by a 1-0 margin thanks to his efforts, and the match ended in a draw.
#2 205* against Australia in Melbourne in 2016
During Pakistan’s three-match Test series tour of Australia in December 2016, Azhar Ali played perhaps his best Test innings outside of Asia. The two teams met in Melbourne for a Boxing Day Test following the hosts’ narrow victory in the opening match in Brisbane.
Pakistan posted 443 after choosing to bat first thanks to Azhar’s fantastic 205*. The Pakistani vice captain contributed the most to his team’s total, accounting for as much as 46% of their total.
He carried his bat and broke a number of records while opening the batting for Pakistan. He became the first Pakistani player to ever score a double hundred in Australia and the first Pakistani player to do so in 32 years at the historic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
After bundling Pakistan out for a pitiful 163 in the second innings, Australia defeated Pakistan by an innings and 18 runs, sadly for the double century.
#1 302* in the first Test against the West Indies in October 2016 in Dubai
The most memorable moment of Azhar Ali’s Test career was when he scored a massive triple-century in the first Test against the West Indies in Dubai.
In addition, this was only the second day-night Test match in history, and Azhar showed off his batting prowess by battering the Windies for over 11 hours to score a magnificent 302* in the first innings. Pakistan scored 579/3 in 155.3 overs as a result of his efforts.
The way Azhar handled the short-ball stuff hit by Shannon Gabriel, Jason Holder, and Miguel Cummins was the highlight of his great innings.
The right-handed batsman not only became one of only four Pakistanis to score a triple ton, but he also became the first and only player to do so in a pink-ball Test by smashing 32 boundaries and a few sixes.
In the end, Pakistan won the Test by 56 runs despite a collapse in their second innings. Expectedly, Azhar was named Player of the Match for his heroic 302 not out, a career-best.