PAK vs ENG Match Preview, England Tour Of Pakistan 2022, 2nd Test

Updated - 08 Dec 2022, 10:56 PM

PHoto Credit: (Twitter)

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Pakistan takes on England in the second Test starting at Multan from December 9-13. This is the second of the three-Test match series. The third will be played in Karachi from December 17. England won the first Test by 74 runs and Pakistan needs to win this one to keep the series alive.

England scored 657 runs in the first innings of the first Test. Four batters scored centuries to take England to a mammoth total. Pakistan scored 579 themselves in response and three of their batters scored a century.

England made a bold second-innings declaration asking Pakistan to score 343 runs to win the first Test in a day and a half. As it turned out, Pakistan fell short and England’s ‘bazball’ approach once again came to the fore as they played with an intent to win. They scored 264/7 in less than 36 overs before announcing the declaration. James Anderson and Ollie Robinson took four wickets each to help the visitors take the lead in the series.

England vs Pakistan 6th T20I — ENG vs PAK, Photo Credit: (Reuters)

England won a T20I series against Pakistan 4-3 in September heading into the Test series. Both teams played in the T20 World Cup and faced each other in the final as well. Jos Buttler’s England had the better of Babar Azam’s Pakistan to lift their maiden title.

PAK vs ENG Match Preview, England Tour Of Pakistan 2022, 2nd Test

Pakistan

Pakistan have been dealt a massive blow before the second Test. Lead pacer Haris Rauf has been ruled out of the rest of the series due to a quad injury on his right leg that he picked up due to a fielding mishap in the first Test. The pacer bowled 13 overs in the first innings picking up just one wicket. He is the second pacer to get injured after Shaheen Shah Afridi is already ruled out with injury. One between Muhammad Abbas and Hasan Ali will replace Rauf for the second Test.

There are no injury concerns for the rest of the players in the Pakistan camp. However, the victory was a bitter pill to swallow for the Men in Green as their batters failed to pay out for a draw. All eyes will once again be on Babar Azam after his first innings century.

Pakistan Squad

Babar Azam (Captain), Abdullah Shafique, Azhar Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Shan Masood, Agha Salma, Saud Shakeel, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim, Nauman Ali, Mohammad Rizwan, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Abrar Ahmed, Naseem Shah, Zahid Mahmood, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Abbas, Hasan Ali

England

England skipper Ben Stokes said that neither him nor his teammates have an interest in playing out for a draw when questioned on the bold declaration after the first Test. Having won the first Test convincingly, Stokes and his boys will play with the same approach in the second Test in Multan. They are eyeing an elusive Test win in Pakistan for this new batch of players. The likes of Joe Root and James Anderson have been the stalwarts of the side and a Test series win in Pakistan would be the perfect icing on the cake for their decorative careers.

England will also be without Liam Livingstone who made his debut in the first Test but picked up a knee injury while fielding on day two of the Test match. He was made to fly back home after being deemed unfit to play for the rest of the series. The side has enough strength in their side to replace the all-rounder. He might be only forced to change in the XI.

England Squad

Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope(w), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes(c), Will Jacks, Ollie Robinson, Jack Leach, James Anderson, Keaton Jennings, Rehan Ahmed, Ben Foakes, Mark Wood, Jamie Overton

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