Pakistan vs New Zealand Day 1: Babar Azam breaks 16-year-old Pakistan record for most runs in a calendar year

At the end of the first day of the two-day Test series with New Zealand in Karachi, he had scored 161 runs to take his 2022 tally to 2,485 runs in all formats.

The 28-year-old thus surpassed Mohammad Yousuf's 2,435 runs in 2006. Babar, who led his side to a 317-5 in the first innings against the Kiwis, has also scored the most runs in Tests this year with 1,170 runs in nine matches.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">𝟐𝟒𝟑𝟔* – <a href="https://twitter.com/babarazam258?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@babarazam258</a> has now scored the most runs for a 🇵🇰 batter in international cricket in a calendar year<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PAKvNZ?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PAKvNZ</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TayyariKiwiHai?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TayyariKiwiHai</a> <a href="https://t.co/rF6JPVWD6d">pic.twitter.com/rF6JPVWD6d</a></p>&mdash; Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRealPCB/status/1607255772030971905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

New Zealand failed to get the Pakistan captain out twice. Daryl Mitchell missed a catch at first slip when Babar was at 12, and fielder Devon Conway missed the stumps when the batsman was well behind square at 54.

It was also Babar's 25th international score of more than 50 this calendar year, again in Test matches, one-day internationals and Twenty20 internationals. With this, he equalled the record set by Kumar Sangakkara of Sri Lanka in 2014.

Pakistan will be looking to bounce back from their recent 3-0 Test match defeat at home to England.

Day 1 Summary

First Test, Karachi 

Pakistan 317-5: Babar 161*, Sarfaraz 86

New Zealand: Yet to bat