Pakistan vs England: 5 players to watch out for in the PAK vs ENG 2nd Test

Pakistan vs England: The pitch used for the first Test in Multan between England and Pakistan was met with heavy criticism from both fans and pundits alike. After Pakistan had scored 556 in the first innings, England wreaked havoc with the bat, posting a mammoth 823 for 7 in the second innings. 

Despite that, England managed to produce a result as Pakistan’s top-order crumbled like a pack of cards in their second essay. There was some resistance from Agha Salman and Aemer Jamal but Pakistan were, eventually, bowled out for 220 runs. Pakistan were handed a massive defeat of an innings and 47 runs. To the dismay of the fans, they have now slipped to the bottom of the World Test Championship (WTC) points table. 

Pakistan have decided to use the same pitch for the second Test and the curators are told to produce a spin-friendly surface. Surprisingly, Pakistan have made a host of changes for the second and third Test, leaving out big players such as Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, and Naseem Shah. 

In their playing XI for the second Test, they have named three spinners, namely Noman Ali, leg-break bowler Zahid Mahmood and off-spinner Sajid Khan. Meanwhile, England captain, Ben Stokes has returned and will be captaining the team in the second Test.    

Heading into the the second Test match, let's take a look at five players to watch out for: 

Pakistan vs England: 5 players to watch out for in the PAK vs ENG 2nd Test

1. Joe Root

The man with the most Test runs in England cricket history, Joe Root will once again be at the centre of attention. The last Test in Multan was special as he went past Sir Alastair Cook to become England’s highest run-scorer in the longest format. 

Heading into the second Test, he will be the focus of attention. Given that the curators planning to serve a spin-friendly track, Joe Root will be the player to look out for in England's batting unit. 

2. Harry Brook 

England’s rising talent, Harry Brook scored the second-fastest triple century in Test cricket history in the first Test in Multan. He reached the landmark in just 310 deliveries, including 28 fours and three fours. Brook has been in stellar form of late and would look to continue his fine run with the bat. 

3. Jack Leach 

The England’s left-arm spinner bowled beautifully in the first Test match in Multan. He picked up three wickets and followed it up with four wickets in the second innings. Leach would be riding high on confidence and you can expect him to deliver an even better performance in the second Test. With the pitch expecting to favour the spinners, Jack Leach could return with the most wickets for England in the match. 

4. Salman Agha 

Salman Agha has consistently provided runs down the order for Pakistan in Test cricket, of late. He was phenomenal with the bat in the first Test match, smashing a scintillating hundred. He also provided late resistance for Pakistan in their second innings. However, his 63-run knock wasn’t enough. Heading into the second Test, Salman Agha would be keen to contribute with both bat and ball. 

5. Shan Masood 

Pakistan no longer has Babar Azam in the batting line-up. In his absence, the eyes would solely be on their Test captain, Shan Masood, who smashed a century in the last game. He played a stunning knock of 151 runs in 177 deliveries, including 13 fours and two sixes. 

If Pakistan are to make a comeback from here and produce a fight against a high-flying England, then their skipper is ought to produce goods with the bat.