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Pakistan vs England, 2nd ODI: England batsmen vs Pakistan spinners and other key battles

Pakistan have a slender lead over England in ODIs at Lord's.

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Pakistan look to draw level in the five-match series in the second ODI at Lord's © Getty Images
Pakistan look to draw level in the five-match series in the second ODI at Lord’s © Getty Images

England and Pakistan resume their rivalry in the second One-Day International (ODI) at Lord’s. England have a slender 1-0 lead in the five-match series and will look to take control of the series with a win in this match. Pakistan on the other hand, were outplayed in the first match and will look to bounce back. While there might be changes for both sides, Pakistan have fond memories of Lord’s as they beat England recently in the first Test in July. Pakistan will seek inspiration from that win and would like to put in a similar sort of performance in this match as well. Let us have a look at some of the key battles ahead of the second ODI. FULL CRICKET SCORECARD: Pakistan vs England 2016, 2nd ODI at Lord’s

Pakistan spinners vs England spinners: While Pakistan have Imad Wasim, Yasir Shah and Mohammad Nawaz as their frontline spinners, England too are not short of talent with Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson among their ranks. Lord’s is one of those few pitches in England, which have some assistance for the spinners and it will not be surprising to see Yasir back in the ODI team. Like Pakistan, England too will have to take a call whether to include Dawson for this match or not. It is highly unlikely that either team will play three spinners in this match, but they do have that option, if they decide to go that way.

Pakistan’s psychological advantage over England at Lord’s: Not only did Pakistan beat England in the first Test at Lord’s recently, they have a superior record at the venue as well. Out of the seven ODIs Pakistan and England have played at Lord’s, Pakistan have won four, while England have won three. Pakistan’s last win at this venue came in 2010, when they beat England by 38 runs.

Yasir Shah vs Imad Wasim: Yasir played his last ODI in November 2015, incidentally against England at Dubai. Pakistan went in with Imad in the first ODI at Southampton. Imad before coming into this series had a fine outing against against Ireland, where he picked up his maiden five-wicket haul in ODIs. But looking at the success Yasir had in the Test series and specially at Lord’s, Pakistan might be tempted to bring him in, in place of Imad. Mohammad Nawaz is the other spinner, but he is also a good middle-order batsman and Pakistan will want to give him another go, after doing well in his two-ODI career so far. READ: Wood delighted to return to international cricket

Ben Stokes vs Jonny Bairstow: Stokes has not been cleared to bowl in the first two ODIs. He played solely as a batsman in the first game and if picked, he will do the same in the second ODI as well. England have a specialist batsman in Bairstow, warming the benches. Resting Stokes for this game and having him bat and bow from the next game might be in the best interest of the team. Bairstow has been in good form in the longest format in the last three series and should ideally be given a place in the team, at least for this game. But who knows, England might just name an unchanged squad. And if Bairstow is not part of it, he might be released to play in Yorkshire’s Royal London semi-final against Surrey. READ: PAK vs ENG, 2016: Likely for Morgan’s men

England batsmen vs Pakistan spinners: The match could be won or lost depending on how the England batsmen play the Pakistan spinners, considering the match is at Lord’s. Yasir, who is likely to be drafted in the Pakistan team for this match, wrecked havoc at this venue in the Test series. England batsmen had no answers to him. Pakistan will also have Mohammad Nawaz and the part-time option of Shoaib Malik at their disposal as well, if needed. But if coach Mickey Arthur does make a change, Yasir is sure come into the team.

(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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