'Were expecting Babar Azam's redemption': Fans react as former Pakistan captain gets bowled for 1 vs Australia

The year 2023 presented formidable challenges for Pakistan's Babar Azam, leaving little to relish in hindsight. Despite his leadership, Pakistan fell short of reaching the semi-finals in the ICC Men's ODI World Cup 2023, missed the Asia Cup 2023 final, and couldn't secure a Test series victory at home.

Babar's batting form continued to show inconsistency, a pattern that has persisted during the ongoing tour of Australia. In a recent Test match in Melbourne, Australia, Babar faced a formidable challenge from Pat Cummins, who bowled an exceptional delivery.

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Despite Babar's efforts to cover the line, Cummins' delivery featured significant inward movement, exploiting the gap between bat and pad and concluding Babar's innings with just one run on the scoreboard. 

This dismissal left fans disheartened, particularly those who had anticipated Babar's resurgence following his relinquishment of the captaincy.

After Babar's resignation as captain, Shan Masood assumed the leadership role in the longest format of the game, while star pacer Shaheen Afridi was appointed captain for T20Is. As of now, no formal announcement has been made regarding ODI leadership.

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As for the Melbourne Test, Pakistan successfully bowled Australia out for 318, with Aamer Jamal claiming three wickets. Marnus Labuschagne was the top scorer for the hosts in the first innings with 63 runs. 

Despite an early setback with opener Imam-ul-Haq departing after scoring 10 runs, Abdullah Shafique (62) partnered with skipper Shan Masood to establish a resilient 90-run stand, contributing to the rebuilding of Pakistan's innings.

At the close of play on Day 2, Pakistan finds itself trailing by 124 runs, having accumulated a total of 194/6 in 55 overs. Mohammad Rizwan remains unbeaten at 29*, while Aamer Jamal is at 2*. The duo is set to resume batting on Day 3.