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Pakistan vs England, 2016: Likely for Eoin Morgan’s men

England will look to go 2-0 up against Pakistan in the five-match series with a win at Lord's

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England will look to continue their domination in ODIs when they take on Pakistan in the second ODI at Lord's  © Getty Images
England will look to continue their domination in ODIs when they take on Pakistan in the second ODI at Lord’s © Getty Images

Pakistan and England face each other in the second One-Day International (ODI) at Lord’s. England won the first match by 44 runs (D/L method) after rain washed away the finishing stages of the match. With four more matches to go, the series is very much alive and this match becomes crucial for both teams. An England win will put them in command as they will need just one win in the three remaining matches to seal the series and Pakistan will have an uphill task, needing to win all three remaining matches. Let us take a look at the England’s likely XI for this crucial tie. Full Cricket Scorecard: Pakistan vs England, 2nd ODI at Lord’s

Top-order: Jason Roy scored 65 off just 56 balls in the first ODI and with the kind of form he is in, it will be criminal to drop him. Roy was given a let off early in his innings but made the bowlers pay smacking six fours and a six in his innings. His opening partner Alex Hales went early, but having scored two tons in his last five innings, Hales will surely find his name on the team sheet. It is vital for Roy and Hales to get England off to a good start, before the middle-order takes charge. Joe Rot looked set to get a big one at Southampton, but was ridiculously run out by his skipper Eoin Morgan. Root came in at the fall of Hales’ wicket and took complete charge of the situation. He rotated the strike well with Roy, stitching an 89-run stand with him for the second wicket. Root at No. 3 makes England’s top-order look extremely daunting. PAK vs ENG 2016, 2nd ODI at Lord’s, Preview and Predictions

Middle-order: Skipper Morgan will walk in at No. 4. Pakistan bowled well against him and as a result, he could not score at a quick pace but did what was expected off him. Nevertheless, he looked solid throughout his stay. Ben Stokes will not bowl in the first two ODIs as he is still not fully fit and will continue to play as a specialist batsman. However, England have Jonny Bairstow warming the bench, it may not be a bad idea to give him a go and have Stokes fully fit to bat and bowl from the third ODI. With scores of 22, 29* and 3 in his last three ODI innings, it may still be difficult to accomodate Bairstow in the Playing XI.

England’s wicketkeeper-batsman, Jos Buttler will come in next. Buttler can take the match away from the opposition in a matter of few deliveries and will look to do the same if the situation arises. He played a key part in the tied game against Sri Lanka at Edgbaston in June, when England looked down and out in that match. READ: Wood delighted to return to international cricket

All-rounders and bowlers: Moeen Ali and Chris Woakes are two players, who have proved their credentials with both bat and ball in the recent past. Woakes deserves as much credit as Buttler for playing a huge role in helping England tie the first ODI of the series against Sri Lanka couple of months back. Moeen’s off-spin along with Adil Rashid’s leg-spin could come in handy at Lord’s, which does offer some assistance to the spinners. We saw Yasir Shah rip through England’s batting line-up in the first Test here and this match could eventually be decided based on the spinners’ performances. READ: ENG vs PAK: Jason Roy reasons dizziness with low blood sugar

Woakes opened the bowling at Southampton, but with David Willey’s return, he could be used as the first change bowler. It could be Liam Plunkett making way for Willey with Mark Wood retaining his place after bowling at a quick pace.

England’s likely XI for 2nd ODI vs Pakistan: Jason Roy, Alex Hales, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (c), Ben Stokes/ Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler (wk), Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, David Willey, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood

(Pramod Ananth is a reporter at CricketCountry.com. He is a sport enthusiast and a keen observer of cricket, the contests, and its personalities. When not tracking cricket, he follows the world’s soccer leagues and is somewhat partial towards Liverpool. His Twitter handle is @pramz)

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