WATCH: Babar Azam dominates against Pakistan bowler with 5 fours in a single over

New Delhi: Babar Azam, who has been facing a rough patch in his form lately, showed flashes of his typical brilliance in Stallions' second match of the ongoing Champions One-Day Cup in Faisalabad. Despite Stallions' loss, getting dismissed for a meager 105 while chasing 232 against the Markhors, Babar's performance was a ray of hope for the Pakistan team as they gear up for their Test series against England next month.

Babar Azam scored a run-a-ball 45, with 20 runs off just one over from pacer Shahnawaz Dahani. Babar hit five consecutive fours off Dahani, including his strokeplay at the Iqbal Stadium. Dashing Dahani started the eighth over with a dot ball but on the very next delivery dropped short with a temper, which was powerfully driven by Babar to the deep mid-wicket boundary.

On the third delivery, Babar dabbed a length ball towards third man. Then Dahani once again pitched it short at which Babar cut sharply to backward point for a third successive boundary. Outside the stump with the short ball again and played elegantly through covers and on the final delivery, he pulled Dahani’s short ball fiercely to deep mid-wicket for yet another boundary.

Just Cannot stop watching this again & again. Don’t think I would be able to sleep tonight. I just cannot understad, how Babar made it look so easy. pic.twitter.com/8YqKMGcPdX

— Shahnawaz Dahani (@ShahnawazDahani) September 15, 2024

Babar Azam hit three more boundaries to leave with 45 but no other batsman batted in support of him. Zahid Mahmood gave five wickets to the Markhors as Stallions collapsed from 79/2 to 105 all out. This led to a second consecutive win to kick-start the season for the Markhors.

Half-centuries by Iftikhar Ahmed and Salman Agha helped the Markhors reach 231. Not an overwhelming total by any means but has proved to be big enough to be defended by their bowlers. Markhors are now placed at the top of the table, having played comfortably so far while Stallions and Panthers share the second position as each one has won and lost once.