New Delhi, Feb. 19 -- Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin took a subtle dig at Pakistan's premier batter, Babar Azam, for his slow-paced fifty against New Zealand in the Champions Trophy opener on Wednesday in Karachi.

In pursuit of a daunting 321-run target, Pakistan were in a dire situation at 69/3 after losing Saud Shakeel, skipper Mohammad Rizwan and Fakhar Zaman.

Pakistan needed something significant and swift from its top star, Babar. However, to everyone's surprise, the 31-year-old's sluggish display took the defending champions away from the required target.

While Babar scored runs at his leisure, vice-captain Salman Ali Agha raised the bar with his belligerent strokeplay. He went from strength to strength to give Pakistan...