Pakistan batter Azhar Ali’s test career ended in heartbreak as he departed without scoring in the Karachi Test.
Azhar Ali had announced on December 16 that he would retire from test cricket after the third test against England.
Azhar Ali gets a guard of honour after his last test innings
Pakistan is facing England in the third test in Karachi after losing both of their first two tests in Rawalpindi and Multan. Pakistan’s star batter Azhar Ali had announced his retirement ahead of the third test after representing Pakistan in 97 test matches.
Azhar Ali played a crucial knock of 45 runs in the first innings which helped the Pakistan team put on a total of 304. However, things didn’t go Azhar Ali’s way in the second innings as he departed for a duck after facing just four deliveries. Jack Leach bowled a flighted delivery on the middle stump line to which the experienced Pakistan batter walked out of his crease playing across the line and got completely beaten with the drift as the ball went on to hit the top of off-stump.
Azhar couldn’t believe his luck as he looked towards the spot from which the delivery turned away towards the off-stump. Just as he started walking towards the pavilion after playing his final test innings, all of England cricketers came to congratulate him on a glorious test career and shook hands with him.
The last innings of Azhar Ali!
— Roshan Abeysinghe (@RoshanCricket) December 19, 2022
15.6 Jack Leach to Azhar Ali, out Bowled!! *Oh dear! Azhar Ali b Jack Leach 0(4)🎯🎳*
Jack Leach to Azhar Ali, THATS OUT!! Bowled!! 🏴 🇵🇰 🔰 pic.twitter.com/ZFCth10B5D
For the final time.
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) December 19, 2022
Farewell, @AzharAli_ 💚#PAKvENG | #UKSePK pic.twitter.com/IBlftcxxXR
The English players gave him a grand reception with synchronized claps and applauded him for his phenomenal test career. Just as Azhar reached towards the boundary rope, all of the Pakistan players gave him a guard of honour as he left the test match arena for the last time. Azhar Ali got a standing ovation from the audience who had come to witness his last test innings.
One of the finest batters of Pakistan, Azhar Ali, finished with a tally of 7142 runs from 97 matches scoring 19 tons for his country. Ali finished his glorious career which had started way back at Lord’s in 2010 as the fifth-highest run scorer for the Pakistan side.
