On the eve of the first ODI, Babar Azam said that Pakistan would not take the new and least experienced England side “lightly.” So did Nasser Hussain, stating that this side was still a “proper” English side and that Pakistan needs to be spot on. Let’s find out about the chances of Pakistan in the 2nd ODI Match.
Saqib Mahmood had taken down Pakistan’s two out of three top-order batsmen. Imam ul-Haq fell on the first ball of the match while Babar was caught at slips for a two-ball duck. The runs, both Babar and Imam, along with Fakhar at the top and the lack of middle-order resistance show how much Pakistan are now dependable on the top three.
During the tour of South Africa, Pakistan relied heavily on the top three. They scored 76.35 percent of the team’s total runs in the ODI series. The middle-order has been a big concern lately. It is ironic how once Pakistan used to rely on the middle-order when top-order failed heavily. But the woes lie in either of the orders now.
The 2nd ODI Match at Home of Cricket
Discussing London, where Pakistan enjoys playing – In the second ODI of the three-match series, 100 percent of the crowd has been granted permission by the MCC; Pakistan will need to put on a solid performance to level the series.
England’s strong performance in the first ODI made Pakistan travail. The young English side, led by Ben Stokes, will be hoping to seal the series in the Home of Cricket. Saqib Mahmood was the star of the first ODI alongside Zak Crawley and Dawid Malan.
There was a little show for the rest of the squad members, and the other seventeen are waiting to show their performance. But there is no doubt the depth of the English squad, who showed that even without the absence of the leading players, they would be ready to take their chance and win games.
In all the talk of different situations from both sides, a third party is looking to spoil all the fun. With higher rain predictions, Pakistan’s chance to win the series in England is getting out of hands.
Match Details:
- Date: July 10, 2021
- Timing: 03:00 PM PKT
- Venue: Lord’s, London
- Weather: The temperature is expected to be very low with eventually getting lower as the game surpasses. Rain is expected throughout the day.
Conditions / Pitch Report:
The London weather isn’t a pleasing one. Rain is predicted throughout the day. We may not even get a full game. Seamers will enjoy the pitch more unless the pitch is damp enough for spinners to come on to enjoy.
Head to Head:
Matches: 89 | England: 54 | Pakistan: 32 | Tied/ No-result: 03
Form Guide:
England: W W W L W (Most recent first)
Pakistan: L W L W T
Team News:
1. England
A new, young and inexperienced ODI squad showed a lot of promising showcases in the first ODI. Ben Stokes will likely stick with the same bowling attack that bowled out Pakistan. One might expect the same starting XI.
England’s Probable XI:
1. Phil Salt, 2. Dawid Malan, 3. Zak Crawley, 4. James Vince, 5. Ben Stokes (C), 6. John Simpson (wk), 7. Lewis Gregory, 8. Craig Overton, 9. Saqib Mahmood, 10. Matt Parkinson, 11. Brydon Chase
2. Pakistan
Sohaib Maqsood and Saud Shakeel were the new ones in Babar’s team, and with just one bad game, they aren’t likely to be replaced. There is a possibility of a couple of changes; Sarfaraz Ahmed and Mohammad Nawaz could be slot in the XI. Sarfaraz may replace Rizwan, whose last eight ODI innings read 92 runs at 11.5 average. Nawaz my replace Faheem.
Pakistan’s Probable XI:
1. Fakhar Zaman, 2. Imam ul-Haq, 3. Babar Azam (c) 4. Mohammad Rizwan/ Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), 5. Saud Shakeel, 6. Sohaib Maqsood, 7. Shadab Khan, 8. Faheem Ashraf/ Mohammad Nawaz, 9. Hasan Ali, 10. Shaheen Afridi, 11. Haris Rauf
Players to watch in 2nd ODI Match:
1. Saqib Mahmood, Bowler (England)
Before the coronavirus hit for the second time in Pakistan, Saqib Mahmood was the highest wicket-taker in the PSL 2021 with 12 wickets. He enjoyed his success with his franchise team Peshawar Zalmi. His experience of playing with the Pakistan players has helped him get the best of them, and he will do more to make himself the first-choice player for his realm.
2. Babar Azam, Batsman (Pakistan)
A rare bad day for Babar Azam, who scored a duck in the first game, does not mean that Babar is short of a player. When he gets going, nothing is stopping him. The lack of runs from the top-order batsmen hurt Pakistan. Such has been the case in the PSL too. Babar’s dismissal means a lot to many, and the Pakistan captain is aware that he must step up to level the series.
3. Dawid Malan, Batsman (England)
Dawid Malan showed how good he is in the format despite featuring the three lions in four ODIs. He averages in the mid-40s in List A. He was composure most of the time he comes out to bat. Malan has already been a star in T20Is, being the fastest to 1,000 runs. He will make the most out of the opportunity this series to show that he deserves a place in the World Cup-winning squad.
Stats and Trivia:
- Babar Azam scored a two-ball duck in the first ODI. This was his first single-digit score in ODIs in three years. This last came against New Zealand in 2018.
- Pakistan cannot take the number one spot in the WCSL now, but they can leapfrog over Australia and Bangladesh by winning the next two ODIs.
- Pakistan has won four of their last five matches at Lord’s, including the 2019 World Cup matches against Bangladesh and South Africa.
- This will be the first ODI at Lord’s since the 2019 World Cup final. From the current 18-men squad of England, only Ben Stokes and James Vince are present.
Quotes:
“It wasn’t a shocker but one bad day. Every day isn’t the same, so I have full confidence and belief in my boys, and I will still tell them not to worry. There are ups and downs, but you have to learn quickly from your mistakes. We will try our best to bounce back and not repeat our mistakes.”
Babar Azam, Pakistan captain
