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Pakistan vs England 2016, 2nd ODI at Lord’s, Preview and Predictions: Visitors aim to level series 1-1

Pakistan would go head to head again against England in the second of the five-match ODI series, at the home of Cricket, in Lord’s.

Pakistan suffered at 44-run loss to the hosts, in a rain-marred tie © Getty Images
Pakistan suffered at 44-run loss to the hosts, in a rain-marred tie © Getty Images

Visitors Pakistan would go head-to-head against hosts England in the second of the five-match One-Day International (ODI) series, at the Home of Cricket  Lord’s on Saturday. Pakistan, who had a tough day out in the opening ODI on Wednesday, suffered at 44-run loss at the hands of the hosts, in a rain-marred tie, as they pray to the rain lords to stay away in the second match, in a bid to win the match and level the series. England, on the other hand, played a good game on Wednesday, as they deservedly won the opening tie to go a game up in the series, and would aim to repeat the same winning performance on Saturday game to stay in the driver’s seat. FULL CRICKET SCORECARD: Pakistan vs England 2016, 2nd ODI at Lord’s

Considering the performance in the previous game, both the teams had a hard day out, especially with the rain Gods interfering. However, it was England who were the better team in those tough conditions, as they cruised to a good 44-run win over the visitors. Pakistan, batting, first, put up an average total of 260 for 6, courtesy of twin half-centuries from Azhar Ali (82), and Sarfaraz Ahmed (55) and Babar Azam adding a steady 44 in Pakistan’s innings.

With rains playing hide and seek, England were well ahead of the par D/L target. At no stage were they in trouble. Despite the fact that Umar Gul picked up an early wicket, Pakistan were never in the game, looking at the way Jason Roy and Joe Root batted. Wood delighted to return to international cricket

As for England, it was a good day out, both with the bat and the ball, as the bowlers managed to restrict Pakistan to 260, courtesy of a two-wicket haul from Adil Rashid, while most of the other bowlers contributed decently to claim a wicket each, except for Moeen Ali, who was nevertheless economical. As for England’s batting, it was a splendid performance from the batsmen, especially from opener  Roy, who struck a fine knock of 65, followed by another grand knock of 61 from the in-form Joe Root, while skipper Eoin Morgan too contributed decently with 33 runs, before the rain gods intervened, as England were 194 for 3, but comfortably ahead of the Duckworth-Lewis (D/L) par score, thus earning them an easy win.

Therefore, considering the performance of both the teams in the previous tie, how is it going to affect the performance on Saturdays tie, as and what changes can be expected from the team? Well, as for the visitors, who were well on the receiving end on Wednesday’s game, is most likely to face some changes in the side, with opener Sharjeel Khan, who could face the axe, and can well be replaced with young opener Sami Aslam. Also Mohammad Hafeez did not have a good day out with the bat. However, being a top batsman in the side, skipper Azhar Ali could just give him another chance to prove his worth in the side. And if replaced, Mohammad Rizwan would be an ideal choice. The Pakistan bowlers however, did a decent job, as they are most likely not to face any changes. ENG vs PAK: Jason Roy reasons dizziness with low blood sugar

As for England, changes are unlikely for the side, since they are coming off a win and would hate to disturb the momentum of the winning XI. However, with the win not coming in the most convincing manner, it won’t be a surprise if skipper Morgan makes a change or two in the side. Among the bowlers, Morgan is unlikely to disturb the combination. However, Moeen Ali could face an axe for being one of the most expensive bowlers on Wednesday without a scalp, and could be replaced by David Willey, who is indeed a fast-bowling sensation for England at present. However, if he wants an extra spinner, Liam Dawson would be an ideal choice as well. The batting line-up hardly has anything to be changed as of now.

With the game being held at the Home of cricket in Lord’s, traditionally, the wicket is known to be on the slower side, and the teams would love to go in with an extra spinner. The last ODI, that was played back at this venue was in 2015 against Australia against England, as it was the visitors who won the game by a good margin 64 runs, while it was a high-scoring encounter, with Australia making 309. Interestingly, it was the fast bowlers, who dominated the game, claiming most of the wickets. Nevertheless, with a slow track, it usually assists the spinners, and Pakistan, even without Yasir Shah could be on the advantage. However, England too could play a big role with their spinners. England beat Pakistan by 44 runs (D/L Method) in 1st ODI

Among the players, who could play a good role on Saturday’s game, could well be Pakistan’s skipper himself Azhar Ali, who has been in good form with the bat, and also Hafeez, who is known to be destructive with the bat, provided the conditions suit him. Babar Azam, who played a decent knock in the last game, should make the cut, followed by wicketkeeper-batsman Sarfaraz Ahmed. Not to forget, Shoaib Malik, who too can play great innings when required. Among bowlers, it’s Umar Gul and Wahab Riaz, who would be the men to watch out for, and so would be Imad Wasim and Mohammad Nawaz in the spin department.

As for England, it is a star-studded side, and most of the players would be interesting to look out for, especially in the form of Adil Rashid among the spinners, and Chris Woakes among the pacers. As for the batting, top five batsmen are the important ones and they will bank on them to get a good score on the board.

Squad:

Pakistan: Sami Aslam, Mohammad Hafeez, Umar Gul, Babar Azam, Azhar Ali (c), Hasan Ali, Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Imad Wasim, Yasir Shah, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Nawaz, Sharjeel Khan, Shoaib Malik.

England: Jason Roy, Alex Hales, Eoin Morgan (c), Joe Root, Jos Buttler (wk), Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Liam Dawson, Chris Jordan, Ben Stokes, Adil Rashid, Liam Plunkett, David Willey, Mark Wood.

Time: 10:30 local | 09:30 GMT | 15:00 IST

(Ayush Gupta is a reporter at CricketCountry. A passionate supporter of Manchester United, he idolises Roger Federer and is also a World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) maniac. He can be followed on Twitter @Ayush24x7)

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