Babar Azam creates HISTORY, becomes only second asian to achieve THIS…

Pakistan captain Babar Azam created history on Friday by becoming only the second Asian cricketer to score 2,000 runs as captain in the World Test Championship. He reached the milestone during his knock of 76 in the third Test against England at Edgbaston.

Babar is the fourth player overall to achieve this feat. He joins England’s Joe Root and Ben Stokes along with Sri Lanka’s Dimuth Karunaratne. Babar took just 41 innings to get there, making him the third-fastest after Root and Karunaratne (both 40 innings). cat-cross.com

Most runs as captain in World Test Championship:

• Joe Root (England) – 3060 runs in 66 innings
• Ben Stokes (England) – 2182 runs in 71 innings
• Dimuth Karunaratne (Sri Lanka) – 2160 runs in 45 innings
• Babar Azam (Pakistan) – 2015 runs in 41 innings
• Kraigg Brathwaite (West Indies) – 1994 runs in 64 innings
• Virat Kohli (India) – 1349 runs in 37 innings

Babar’s 76 came off 103 balls and included 11 fours and one six. It was his first half-century of the series. He came in at 125 for 3 and looked comfortable at first before England’s short-ball plan finally got him out, caught fine off Josh Tongue.

Pakistan post 449 and set England a target

Pakistan showed real fight on Friday and posted 449 in their second innings. They now lead England by 129 runs, setting the hosts a target of 130 runs for victory on Day 4.

Shan Masood led the resistance with a determined 95. Opener Azan Awais scored 59 and shared a 125-run stand with Masood for the third wicket – Pakistan’s first century partnership of the entire series. Babar then added 76, his first fifty of the series, and helped the total grow.

Debutant Razaullah steals the show

The biggest surprise came from debutant Razaullah. Batting at number 9, the 21-year-old smashed a rapid 81 off just 63 balls. He hit nine sixes, equalling the record for most sixes by a Test debutant. Razaullah and Mohammad Abbas (42) put on an amazing 121-run stand for the ninth wicket that frustrated England completely.

Razaullah earlier took four wickets with the ball in England’s first innings. His all-round show has been the highlight of an otherwise tough tour for Pakistan.

England still favourites but face a chase

England had dominated the first two days after bowling Pakistan out for 133 and scoring 453 themselves. On Day 3, however, they could not finish the job quickly. Ollie Robinson and the pace attack kept creating chances, but Pakistan’s lower order refused to give up.

England will now chase 130 runs on the fourth morning. While the target looks small, Pakistan’s improved batting display has at least made the final day interesting. Babar’s historic milestone and Razaullah’s fearless hitting gave Pakistan fans something positive to cheer in a difficult series.

Women’s Asia Cup 2026 SL-W vs PAK-W Highlights: Chamari Athapaththu-led Sri Lanka defeated Fatima Sana-led Pakistan Women in the 2nd semi-final in Dubai.

Women’s Asia Cup 2026 SL-W vs PAK-W Playing 11

Sri Lanka Women

Pakistan Women

Muneeba Ali(w), Shawaal Zulfiqar, Gull Feroza, Ayesha Zafar, Sadaf Shamas, Fatima Sana(c), Eyman Fatima, Tuba Hassan, Umm-e-Hani, Nashra Sandhu, Sadia Iqbal

Women’s Asia Cup 2026 SL-W vs PAK-W Scoreboard

Women’s Asia Cup 2026 SL-W vs PAK-W Scorecard

Pakistan Women Batting

Sri Lanka Women Bowling

Sri Lanka Women Batting

Pakistan Women Bowling

Women’s Asia Cup 2026 SL-W vs PAK-W Highlights

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Player of the Match

Fatima Sana | Pakistan

Sri Lankan middle order took the game away. I think the way Harshitha and Kavisha played… They are good in (taking) singles. So credit goes to them. Definitely. The fielding at the end, and we were giving a lot of runs at the end. So that was close.

Pistol shooter Anish Bhanwala and grappler Antim Panghal are only 23 and 24 years old. Still relatively young, both heading to the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya have been representing India since they were teens.

Rapid fire ace, Anish has already participated in two Asian Games — 2018 Jakarta-Palembang and 2022 Hangzhou, but did not win a medal. Antim won a bronze at the last edition in the 53kg weight category. Both have been to the Olympics as well. Now battle-hardened, somewhat more mature, they want the big podium finish in Japan — the Asian Games begin on September 19 and conclude on October 4.

Medal run

With wrestling, shooting, and athletics being India’s core sports disciplines, the number of gold medals will decide India’s place on the Asian map. At the 2022 Asian Games, India won 28 gold, 38 silver and 41 bronze medals to finish fourth in the medals tally. With a total of 107 medals, this was the best ever show.

“This would be my third Asian Games, but I am not hyping it too much. This unnecessarily adds to the noise and makes you tense. I have been to the Olympics and World Championships and without meaning to disrespect Asian Games, in shooting our only big opponents are the Chinese and Korean shooters,” Anish said.

“I have already been at the podium in the past three Asian championships and cannot explain how I feel. I am shooting the same way when I was 17. Feels like everything is in rhythm and I am relaxed. I am very confident that we will match the medals tally from the last Games for sure,” he added.

Antim doesn’t want to disclose her expectations, but exudes confidence that she is a far better wrestler now. Having already recovered from a back injury and a few upsets, including failing in the trials for the Asian Championships earlier this year, the 23-year-old says she is more focused now. “I want to give my best this time. I have been working very hard on both my offensive and defensive techniques so I feel I am ready. I am also watching footage of all my prospective opponents,” the two-time World Championships bronze medallist says.

On the other end of the spectrum is one of India’s most known faces when it comes to 3000m steeplechase: Avinash Sable. The 31-year-old has recovered from a knee injury that he suffered during the 2025 Monaco Diamond League. Now fit, he wants to retain his title in Japan. “I am mentally and physically strong now to face any challenge,” the Hangzhou gold medallist said, who had also won the silver medal in the men’s 5,000m in 2022.

Young archers on the big stage

While the optimism is high, there are a few disciplines, including archery, where the team is young and inexperienced. Apart from Dhiraj Bommadevara and Ankita Bhagat in recurve and V Jyothi Surekha in women’s compound archery, the rest of the team is fresh. Former India international Dola Banerjee advises patience. “In crunch times, experience comes in handy. Most of our archers have been promoted from the youth setup so we have to be mindful of that,” Banerjee says. “We should just let them enjoy this big experience and whatever they achieve should be celebrated. Having said that, fresh faces do not approach competitions with any baggage, and can come up with surprising results,” she adds.

Defending the cricket, hockey titles

The Indian men’s and women’s cricket teams head to Aichi-Nagoya to defend their titles won in the last edition. The men’s hockey team will also look to defend its gold medal as winning the podium will mean booking a spot for the 2028 LA Olympics.

India will also look to end its Asian Games drought in weightlifting. Karnam Malleswari’s 1998 silver was the last time an Indian stood on the podium at the Asian Games.

India’s preparations for the 2026 Asian Games have suffered another setback with weightlifter C Rishikanta Singh withdrawing from the Games due to a knee injury. The development comes just days before the continental event begins in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.

Rishikanta was India’s only male weightlifter in the Asian Games squad and his withdrawal means the country will now have four women weightlifters in the team. The Commonwealth Games silver medallist was expected to be one of India’s medal hopes in the 60kg category.

The 25-year-old has been dealing with a sore left knee. He informed the Weightlifting Federation of India about the problem and was assessed by Asian Games chief medical officer Dinshaw Pardiwala following the Commonwealth Games. He has been advised at least 20 days of rehabilitation and is currently recovering in his home state of Manipur.

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Rishikanta had competed through the injury at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where he won a silver medal in the 60kg category. His absence is therefore a blow to India’s medal hopes in weightlifting, although Mirabai Chanu and the other members of the women’s team remain in the squad.

The latest withdrawal is part of a wider list of changes to India’s athletics contingent. Javelin thrower Annu Rani, the reigning Asian Games champion, has been left out after failing to meet the required qualifying mark. Her season’s best of 57.50m was below the 57.62m qualifying distance.

Sprinter Nithya Gandhe has also been dropped because of injury and performance concerns, while long jumper Shahnavaz Khan has been withdrawn due to injury. Khan had won a bronze medal at the recent World U20 Championships with a 7.84m jump.

Abhishek Pal has also been removed from the team following an adverse finding involving a fertility drug. The changes have reduced India’s athletics contingent to 75 athletes.

There was some good news for India as hurdler Jyothi Yarraji, who has been carrying a niggle since the Bhubaneswar World Athletics Silver meet, was cleared to compete after being assessed by doctors. The medical team expects her to be fit for the Games.

Wushu player Divyanshi Chaudhary has also been replaced by Rushibina Devi after suffering a shoulder injury.

The Asian Games will begin on September 19 and run until October 4.