Rain has delayed start of the second Test against England at Lord”s after Pakistan skipper Babar Azam won the toss and elected to bowl first in overcast conditions.
The visitors have made a notable change to their playing XI, with Babar Azam returning after sitting out the opening Test at Headingley. His comeback comes at the expense of stand-in skipper Salman Ali Agha, who has been left out of the team.
The two sides have met 93 times in Test cricket. England have won 31 encounters, while Pakistan have claimed 23 victories, with the remaining 39 matches ending in draws.
Pakistan will draw confidence from their recent record in London, having won their last three Tests against England in the city. They recorded victories at Lord’s in 2016 and 2018, while their other win came at The Oval in 2016.
England, meanwhile, have won two of their previous five Test matches. They head into the second Test on a high after producing a dominant performance in the series opener, defeating Pakistan by an innings and 103 runs.
With a 1-0 lead and confidence boosted by their comprehensive display in the first Test, England will look to carry that momentum into Lord’s and move closer to securing the series.
Playing XIs
Pakistan: Imam-ul-Haq, Azan Awais, Shan Masood, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam (c), Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Ali Usman, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Abbas.
England: Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Jordan Cox, Joe Root (c), Harry Brook, Dan Lawrence, Jamie Smith (wk), Ollie Robinson, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue.
