Pakistan have won the toss and opted to bowl first in the second Test of the three-match series against England here at Lord’s on Thursday.
Notably, this series marks Pakistan’s return to England for a red-ball series for the first time since 2020. The two sides met in a three-Test series five years ago, with England winning 1-0 while the other two matches ended in draws.
Pakistan have not won a Test series in England since 1996, when Wasim Akram’s side secured a 2-1 victory. That success was Pakistan’s third consecutive Test series win in the country, following their triumph under Imran Khan in 1987 and Javed Miandad’s side’s success in 1992.
Overall, England and Pakistan have faced each other 93 times in Test cricket. The English side have won 31 matches, Pakistan have won 23, while 39 encounters have ended in draws.
PLAYING XIs
England: Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Jordan Cox, Joe Root (c), Harry Brook, Dan Lawrence, Jamie Smith (wk), Ollie Robinson, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue.
Pakistan: Babar Azam (c), Azan Awais, Imam-ul-Haq, Shan Masood, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Ali Usman, Khurram Shahzad, Ubaid Shah, and Mohammad Abbas.
