Two days time is a lot of time in Pakistan Cricket. Pakistan, across different eras, have shown that they have the skills to go from one extreme to another in a matter of 48 hours. That’s what the team management led by the captain Babar Azam would be telling the side in the middle of the ODI series against England.
England came into the series with both hands tied behind their back in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis in the camp. They had to bring a completely new 18-man squad to face Pakistan and there were question marks if their rookie batsmen would be able to stand up against ever so impressive Pakistan bowlers.
Turned out, Pakistan’s batsmen were found shell-shocked against the England bowling lineup, an incident that goes on to establish the enormous depth of the England white-ball sides.
Saqib Mahmood made sure that Ben Stokes, who otherwise wouldn’t have been rushed into leading the side after recovering for injury, did not need the luxury of Chris Woakes and Mark Wood. The likes of Lewis Gregory and Craig Overton also put their hands up with the new ball to keep Pakistan under check.
With the bat in the hand, Zak Crawley, who has been struggling to put bat on ball (apart from edging it) made a light work of the chase of 142 runs. He was fluent with his usual drives on the off side and along with Dawid Malan, who did not do his chances any harm with an unbeaten 68 to sink Pakistan on the very first day of the series.
England vs Pakistan: Match Details
Match No.- 2nd ODI
Date and Time: July 10, 2021, 05:30 pm IST, 12:00 pm GMT, 01:00 pm Local
Venue: Lord’s, London
Broadcast and Livestream in India: Sony Sports Network and Sony LIV
Pitch
This will be the first ODI at the Lord’s after the iconic final of the ICC ODI World Cup 2019 and the pitch, with the help of the slope, and a possibility of some movement with this new batch of Kookaburra ball, will assist the bowlers more.
The surface is not expected to be a green seamer or an absolute belter but there will some swing in the air on offer for both sides and Pakistan will be desperate to make good use of it after getting a proper hammering in the first ODI.
Team News
England
There is no reportage of any injury or untoward incidents from the English camp and hence the hosts are unlikely to change their playing XI that walloped Pakistan at the Sophia Gardens in Cardiff.
Phil Salt was the lone Englishman to fall in the last game and he would be desperate to earn some reckoning after earring a fortuitous opportunity in the England side.
Matt Parkinson has another chance to showcase what he brings to the table one more time with his wrist spin and establish himself in the position to be looked at as someone Morgan can call onto in the absence of Adil Rashid.
Strongest playing XI
Philip Salt, Dawid Malan, Zak Crawley, James Vince, Ben Stokes (c), John Simpson (wk), Lewis Gregory, Craig Overton, Brydon Carse, Saqib Mahmood, Matthew Parkinson
Pakistan
None, except Fakhar Zaman, stood up tall against Saqib Mahmood in the last game and the left-hander has been going strength to strength with one knock over another in crucial games. He has come into the series on the back of a rollicking series with the bat in South Africa and it appears the momentum has not been lost from one country to another.
While the batting was an abject failure, the bowling department too appeared toothless in the face of counterattacks from Malan and Crawley.
Experienced-pro Hasan Ali could not build pressure from the other end while Shaheen Shah Afridi was testing the inside and outside edges of the batsmen and went for plenty of runs.
Come Saturday at the Lord’s, Babar Azam would be looking to get his side back in the groove in all the departments, or else the hosts will walk over them way before they will realise their state of the game.
Pakistan too should field an unchanged playing XI.
Strongest playing XI
Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Sohaib Maqsood, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf
England vs Pakistan 2nd ODI: Dream XI/fantasy XI
Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Dawid Malan, Zak Crawley, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Ben Stokes, Shadab Khan, Saqib Mahmood, Craig Overton, Matt Parkinson, Shaheen Shah Afridi