Young Pakistani Batter Makes Headlines in First Bangladesh Test

Pakistan’s young debutant Azan Awais announced himself on the Test stage with a composed half-century against Bangladesh.

The young batter, along side Imam-ul-Haq, gave Pakistan a steady start in reply to the hosts’ first-innings total of 413 in the opening Test at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium.

The young left-hander looked assured from the outset and stitched together a century stand with Imam-ul-Haq to put Pakistan in a stable position after Bangladesh posted a challenging total.

At the time of writing, Azan had moved past 70 in close to 100 balls, striking 11 fours in an impressive unbeaten knock that also put him in sight of a debut century.

His innings stood out for its control and maturity rather than reckless strokeplay. Azan rotated the strike well, punished loose deliveries, and showed the kind of patience expected from a batter built for the longer format.

Pakistan’s strong start came after Mohammad Abbas led the bowling effort with a five-wicket haul to help bowl Bangladesh out for 413. Shaheen Afridi chipped in with three wickets, while Hasan Ali and Noman Ali claimed one each.

Azan arrived in the side with a growing reputation in domestic cricket and had already been seen as one of Pakistan’s most Test-ready young batters. The left-hander made a strong impression in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, where he piled up more than 800 runs for Sialkot at an average above 50, including four centuries.

What has made him one of the more highly rated young prospects is the nature of his batting. He is known for spending long periods at the crease, building innings patiently, and scoring heavily through the off side rather than relying on quick runs.

That profile was on full display in Dhaka, where he produced one of the standout knocks by a Pakistani debutant and gave an early glimpse of why he is seen as a long-term red-ball prospect.