Goa, Aug. 30 -- Babar Azam's wait for his 10th Test century has become one of the longest barren runs of his career.

The Pakistan batter last reached three figures in Test cricket on December 26, 2022, when he produced a superb 161 against New Zealand in Karachi. It was his ninth Test hundred and capped a remarkable year in which Babar scored 1,184 Test runs, including four centuries.

Nearly four years later, the milestone remains out of reach.

Babar has now gone 17 Tests and 36 innings without a Test century, despite several occasions when he appeared set to end the drought.

The barren run began almost immediately after his 161. He scored 14 in the second innings of that New Zealand Test before making 24 and 27 in the second match in...