Babar Azam's Sluggish Knock Costs Pakistan as R Ashwin Labels Him a 'Tortoise'

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Ravichandran Ashwin referred to Babar Azam as a 'tortoise' following his sluggish performance, which adversely affected Pakistan in their Champions Trophy 2025 opener against New Zealand at the National Stadium in Karachi on Wednesday. In his first ICC event on home soil, Babar appeared significantly out of form, managing a laborious half-century that proved detrimental to Pakistan's pursuit of a substantial target. Chasing 321 runs, Pakistan faced an early setback as regular opener Fakhar Zaman, typically aggressive at the start, was unable to bat at the top of the order due to an injury sustained in the first over.

The new opening combination of Babar and Saud Shakeel displayed minimal aggression during the powerplay. Shakeel was dismissed by Will O'Rourke in the fourth over, marking the beginning of Babar's difficulties. He struggled to accelerate the scoring, managing only two boundaries in the initial powerplay. Pakistan's situation worsened with the loss of captain Mohammad Rizwan, concluding the powerplay at a mere 22/2, the lowest score recorded by any team in the Champions Trophy.

Babar and Fakhar Zaman formed a brief partnership of 47 runs, but this was achieved over 65 balls, further complicating Pakistan's efforts, especially as Fakhar was hindered by his injury.

The only moment Pakistan appeared to make a concerted effort towards the target was during Salman Ali Agha's innings in the middle order. The right-handed batsman scored 42 runs off 28 balls, achieving a strike rate of 150 with six fours and a six, momentarily uplifting the spirits of local supporters until his dismissal by all-rounder Nathan Smith in the 31st over.

In their 56-run partnership, Salman contributed 42 runs off 28 balls, while Babar struggled significantly, scoring just 14 runs off 31 balls. Observing the contrasting nature of their partnership, Ashwin remarked that it perfectly illustrated the fable of the tortoise and the hare. He noted, "Babar’s journey to 50, alongside Salman Ali Agha’s batting, exemplifies the essence of 'The Tortoise and the Hare' story in the #ChampionsTrophy."

Babar ultimately achieved his half-century, reaching the milestone in 81 balls, and began to exhibit a more aggressive approach against New Zealand. He accumulated 14 runs from 8 balls, which featured a six. In an attempt to hit another six off New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner, he unfortunately top-edged the ball and was dismissed for a painstaking 64 runs off 90 balls, which comprised only six boundaries.

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