Pakistan will be aiming to even the Test series when they host England in their next Test at Lord’s on August 27, after he missed the opener due to a hamstring injury.
The first Test highlighted some issues faced by Pakistan, including the bat and their pace attack. If they are to prevent England from going too far ahead, then they will need to perform much better at Lord’s.
A look back to the middle order.A review of the middle order.
Babar has been preparing for the second Test, and he claims to be 90 per cent fit. It is likely that he will be returning to the No.4 slot where Azan Awais may have to make room.
The former Pakistan captain has a good record in England with an average of 65.75. He has also made a fifty or century in seven of his 14 innings against England, a record that includes a fifty against him in just his 14th and 15th innings.He has also 7 fifty or hundred against England in his 14 innings of play with the England side, including a fifty from him in his 14th and 15th innings.
His experience may prove to be of great help after the first Test in which Pakistan’s top and middle order were unable to do well.
Pakistan urgently need to get more from their bowlers.
Pakistan’s woes in the Headingley were not limited to their batting. Their pace bowlers were not able to put pressure on the defence with many of them not even reaching 130kph.
The visitors may have the opportunity to change their bowling combination at Lord’s and Ubaid Shah may be a name to consider after sitting out of the first Test.
It is the first time that Pakistan are running 17 Tests without any victory against the opponents in SENA countries since 2018. The run had to come to one of England’s most iconic grounds to be broken with a big improvement.
England Enter With Confidence
England were unlikely to have much to play for to change their plans for Leeds.
They won the first Test by an innings and have shown no signs of changing their winning side. In the first match the hosts didn’t have a specialist spinner on and they might be able to count on their seam attack again.
Joe Root will also be captaining England for a second time. His journey back started with a strong win but off the field incidents have been a distraction.
Brydon Carse has been dropped from this Test after an off field incident. Subtly, Root has already spoken about his desire to have more of his players take ownership of their own behaviour and said discipline was a key area of focus at England camp.
Lord’s Conditions May Alter the Test.The outcome of the contest may change with Lord’s Conditions.
The pitch will also be a key contributor. The New Zealand Test held earlier this summer came in for harsh criticism for its low bounce and excessive movement, which led the ICC to rate it as being less than satisfactory.
This time, the ground staff will have to make a more even playing field. If it rains during the Test, then it will also be more difficult for both sides.
England last lost a Test match at Lord’s against Australia in the 2023 Ashes and they have won their last four Tests.
Probable Teams
England: Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Jordan Cox, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Dan Lawrence, Jamie Smith, Ollie Robinson, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue.
Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Shan Masood, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Agha, Ali Usman, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Ali and Mohammad Abbas were among the players who took part in the match.The players who played the match were Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Shan Masood, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Agha, Ali Usman, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Ali and Mohammad Abbas.
Pakistan have limited scope to commit errors as England are ahead in the game. Babar returns to give them an experienced hitter but they will require points across the XI to take on the hosts at Lord’s.