England host Pakistan at Lord’s with a 1-0 series lead after their dominant win in Leeds
Babar Azam is set to return for Pakistan after recovering from his finger injury and declaring himself around 90% fit
Pakistan need a victory to level the series, while England’s pace attack will look to maintain its dominance
Pakistan will look to bounce back when they take on England in the second Test of the three-match series at Lord’s from Thursday, August 27. The visitors were thoroughly outplayed in the series opener in Leeds, suffering an innings-and-103-run defeat inside three days.
With England holding a 1-0 lead, Pakistan now need a strong response to keep their series hopes alive and remain in contention for the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The return of Babar Azam will be a major boost for Pakistan. The former captain missed the first Test after suffering a finger injury, but he has resumed batting in the nets and trained with the team ahead of the Lord’s clash.
Babar has indicated that he is around 90 per cent fit and available for selection, although the injury will remain a point of attention heading into the match.
Babar’s return also creates a selection headache for Pakistan, with the team management needing to decide who drops out of the XI to accommodate the experienced batter. Pakistan will hope his presence can add stability to a batting unit that struggled badly against England in Leeds.
England, on the other hand, are expected to stick with the combination that delivered a dominant performance in the opening Test. However, Shoaib Bashir could come into contention if the hosts decide to alter their bowling attack.
England’s pace battery was particularly effective in Leeds, with Ollie Robinson, Josh Tongue, Jofra Archer and Gus Atkinson consistently troubling Pakistan’s batters.
The quartet will once again be expected to exploit the conditions at Lord’s, while Pakistan’s batters face the task of finding a way to withstand England’s relentless pace attack.
England Vs Pakistan, 2nd Test: Live Streaming
When and where will the England vs Pakistan second Test be played?
The second Test will be played from August 27 to 31 at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London.
What time will the England vs Pakistan second Test start?
Play will begin at 3:30 PM IST each day, with the match scheduled to start on Thursday, August 27.
Where to watch England vs Pakistan second Test?
Cricket fans in India can catch the LIVE broadcast of the England vs Pakistan Test series on the Sony Sports Network TV channels. Live streaming will also be available on the Sony LIV app and website on a subscription basis.
England Vs Pakistan, 2nd Test: Squads
England: Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Jordan Cox, Joe Root(c), Harry Brook, Dan Lawrence, Jamie Smith(w), Ollie Robinson, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue, Matthew Fisher, Ollie Pope, Sam Cook, Sonny Baker, Shoaib Bashir
Pakistan: Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Shan Masood, Babar Azam(c), Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan(w), Salman Agha, Ali Usman, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Abbas, Sajid Khan, Ghazi Ghori, Aamer Jamal, Azan Awais, Ubaid Shah, Abdullah Fazal, Awais Zafar
