"Feeling sorry for haters" - Fans erupt as Pakistan's Babar Azam slams fantastic ton, shatters multiple records in Test series opener vs NZ

Pakistan captain Babar Azam starred with the bat on Day 1 of the first Test against New Zealand at the National Stadium in Karachi on Monday, December 26.

Coming into bat at No.4 when Pakistan were 19/2, Babar slammed an impressive century, his ninth in Test cricket. The right-handed batter has been in scintillating form this year. He is currently the leading run-getter in Test cricket in 2022.

The Pakistani side did not have an ideal start after deciding to bat first. However, Babar once again steadied the ship for his side with yet another gutsy knock. He crossed the 100-run mark with a glorious six off Michael Bracewell in the 53rd over of the first innings.

It is worth mentioning that Babar would have had to walk back for 12, but got a big reprieve as Darryl Mitchell dropped a regulation catch at slip. The hosts' skipper made the most of the chance, hitting a remarkable ton.

A number of fans and cricketers took to social media, praising the player for his wonderful batting exploits. Here are some of the reactions on Twitter:

Notably, Babar Azam has been the top performer with the bat for Pakistan in Test cricket this year. While his side were whitewashed by England in their three-match Test series earlier this month, he was able to make a significant impact with the bat.

With 348 runs in three Tests at an average of 58.00, Babar was the leading run-getter for Pakistan in the series. The star batter finished with a century and three fifties against Ben Stokes and Co.

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Babar Azam eclipses Ricky Ponting to become the first captain to have 25 fifty-plus scores in a calendar year

With his knock against New Zealand, Babar Azam broke former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting's record of scoring the most fifty-plus scores in a calendar year in international cricket.

Ponting crossed the 50-run mark on 24 occasions in 2005. Babar has surpassed the Aussie batter by doing it 25 times in 2022. The Men in Green skipper has also scored the most runs in international cricket this year.

He became the first Pakistani player to score over 2500 runs in a calendar year, breaking Mohammad Yousuf's record. While he has come under the scanner for his captaincy, Babar has stamped his class as a batter across formats with his consistent performances.

He will be aiming to silence his critics by leading his team to a series win at home against the Tim Southee-led New Zealand side.