Following an abysmal performance in the opening Test in Leeds, the Lord’s Test holds utmost significance, with a series win on the line for England and Pakistan looking to avoid yet another series defeat on English soil.
The Joe Root-led side was hardly challenged in the 1st Test as the pace quartet of England and a professional batting performance blew the men in green away by an innings and 103 runs.
Pakistan Preview for the Lord’s Test
It was a dismal outing to say the least for an already below-average test side against an England team with a new captain at the helm. To say the least, Pakistan’s stand-in captain Salman Ali Agha was unable to step up as a batsman, and his captaincy was ordinary.
The only phase in the match where the men in green had control was the 91-run partnership between Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq, with the former continuing his purple patch and scoring 61 before being cleaned up by Ollie Robinson. Pakistan’s batting lineup will be boosted by the return of Babar Azam for the Lord’s Test; however, it would take more than just Babar Azam for Pakistan to have an improved performance with the bat.
On the bowling front, for a large chunk of the innings, the bowlers were unable to consistently trouble the England batters, as they took a liking to Khurram Shahzad the most. It will be interesting to see whether the impressive Ali Usman retains his spot in the side, with the conditions at Lord’s not being favourable for spinners – evident from the fact that Shoaib Bashir did not bowl a single delivery in the hosts’ win here against New Zealand in June.
Players to watch out for
Babar Azam cannot be the medicine to Pakistan’s batting woes, but his inclusion will be a major boost. The 31-year-old has been in-form in the ongoing World Test Championship, having scored 439 runs at an average of 54.88 in 10 outings. He was also the man of the series in the Caribbean, notching 193 runs including 2 fifties. Babar has enjoyed success in England, scoring three half-centuries in six innings, and averaging 65.75. Across 14 innings against them, he averages 53.83, scoring either a half-century or a hundred in half his innings.
Mohammad Abbas had a surprising outing, as the veteran pacer was not at his natural best but still conceded at a lower rate than the other two pacers. His stints with Hampshire and Nottinghamshire suggest he surely cannot bowl with such a lack of penetration for two matches in a row.
Read more: Six Pakistan Stars Set to Miss Caribbean Premier League 2026 Action as Champions Cup Takes Priority.
England Preview for the Lord’s Test
Post the Bazball era, England could not have asked for a much better start to Joe Root’s captaincy era. The home side delivered a near-perfect performance, thanks to an atrocious display by Pakistan in Leeds. Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue were the wreckers in chief, as the duo picked 16 of Pakistan’s 20 wickets and troubled the batters with pace and impeccable line and length.
Ollie Robinson will have a milestone in sight at the Lord’s Test, as the pacer is 9 wickets away from picking 100 scalps in the red-ball format. The English batters also remained untroubled by a mediocre outing from Pakistan’s bowlers. Jordan Cox, Joe Root, Dan Lawrence and Harry Brook scored fifties, with the latter missing out on a century by 9 runs. At Lord’s, England have won each of their last four tests, and the English will hope to extend that record and secure a Test series victory for the first time since New Zealand in December 2024.
Players to watch out for
Captain Joe Root is all set to play his 168th Test match, with only Sachin Tendulkar (200) and fellow English legend Sir James Anderson (188) having played more. At Headingley, Root equalled Tendulkar’s record of the most Test fifties, and he has the best opportunity to break that record at the home of cricket.
Another record that the legendary batter will have in sight is to become the player with the third-most Test centuries, currently tied with Ricky Ponting at 41.
Predicted Lineups
England: Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Jordan Cox, Joe Root (c), Harry Brook, Dan Lawrence, Jamie Smith (wk), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Ollie Robinson, Josh Tongue.
Pakistan: Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Shan Masood, Babar Azam (c), Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Ali Usman, Ubaid Shah, Muhammad Ali, Mohammad Abbas
