Babar, Awais reach centuries as Mohammad Ali bags five-for in Tarouba

Babar and Awais both scored centuries and Mohammad Ali claimed a five-for in Pakistan’s tour game in Tarouba. Not all Pakistan batters were able to make the most of the opportunity ahead of the first Test against West Indies, which begins on July 25.

The match in Tarouba acted as Pakistan’s preparatory fixture before the opening Test against West Indies. Babar and Awais converted starts into triple figures, while Mohammad Ali finished the game with a five-wicket haul. Despite those individual successes, a number of other batters did not capitalise on the chance to stake claims for the Test side.

Babar’s century stood out among the positives for Pakistan in Tarouba. He reached the hundred during the course of the tour game and thus registered one of the match’s landmark contributions. His score was among the chief batting highlights from Pakistan’s innings.

Awais also reached the three-figure mark in the same fixture, joining Babar in the list of centurions. His century was another principal batting achievement for Pakistan in the warm-up match. Both centuries were recorded as the team prepared for the forthcoming Test contest.

Mohammad Ali’s performance with the ball produced a five-for in the game. He completed a five-wicket haul, giving Pakistan a notable bowling return in the fixture. That haul was one of the clearest positives for the bowling unit during the match.

While Babar and Awais made sizeable contributions with the bat and Mohammad Ali excelled with the ball, several other Pakistan batters did not make the most of the match. The mixed returns across the batting lineup contrasted with the centuries posted by Babar and Awais. Those uneven outcomes framed the overall assessment of the team’s showing in Tarouba.

The tour game in Tarouba served its purpose as preparation ahead of the first Test, which gets underway on July 25 against West Indies. Players who delivered strong performances left the match with momentum, while others will have had the chance to reflect on missed opportunities. The first Test remains the immediate focus for both sides.