Watch: Babar Azam, the leading Test run-getter in 2022, reached his ninth Test century with a six, crossing three figures for the fourth time this year.

Babar, along with Sarfaraz Ahmed, brought Pakistan back into the game after a top-order collapse gave New Zealand the upper hand in the first session. Pakistan lost openers Abdullah Shafique and Shan Masood to stumpings, and Imam-ul-Haq, after a brief resistance, fell to another poor shot, leaving them on 48-3.

Babar, however, tackled spin well, comfortably pushing on to the back foot and countering the turn before the surface eased up. Saud Shakeel briefly gave him company in a 62-run stand, but it was the Babar-Sarfaraz pairing that handed Pakistan back control. At tea, they had put on 114 runs.

Leading from the front, Babar reached his century with a six off Michael Bracewell: on 97, he received a full delivery right in his slot, and knelt on his back leg to swipe it over the deep midwicket fence for a six.

It was a timely hundred both for Pakistan and Babar himself, with pressure growing on the captain after a tough year in Tests comes to an end.

Watch Babar hit a six to reach his century:

 

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