Fantasy Cricket: ENG vs PAK 2nd Test Preview, Team News, Prediction, Predicted XIs

ENG vs PAK 2nd Test Fantasy Cricket: After the nerve-jangling ending of the first test at Manchester, teams have now arrived at Southampton. Both team managements have some decisions to make before captains take centre-stage in their blazers to spin the coin. Pakistan must be rattled with their performance during the last play of the match when they had England almost down and out. On the other hand, hosts will begin the second test with a lead over their opponents for the first time since 2018 in any test match series. 

If we talk about England first, Ben Stokes has left for New Zealand to be with his family and he is certainly out of this English summer. So, the question still remains the same for the English test side: Can they still make the same impact without their talisman? The answer somewhat remains in their performance at The Old Trafford last week. Even after the limited contributions from Ben Stokes, England were able to find new heroes. Chris Woakes and Jos Buttler were struggling with their places in the playing XI before they came together and scripted a remarkable turnaround for the hosts. In bowling lineup, Stuart Broad was again at his best and an all-round effort is required now to grab the second straight series win for the summer.

A lot of questions were raised on Azhar Ali after Pakistan failed to close out a victory in the last test. His utilization of bowlers along with some field placements was up for debate in Pakistani media, not to mention his own form with the bat. Clearly, Azhar Ali needs to have a good game in Southampton to settle all these discussions. Shan Masood impressed everyone with his first innings performance but a bit of consolidation from Babar Azam and Shadab Khan from the other end would have surely closed the doors on England. The pace trio of Mohammad Abbas, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah started brilliantly but seemed to have lost steam as the match progressed. Pakistan squad needs to find some energy on the field somehow even without their passionate supporters in the stands.

Pitch and Conditions

The whole of UK are under a significant heatwave for last 15 days and their wait is set to end this week if anything to go by the forecasts. But the situation is different if you are a cricket fan as thunderstorms are predicted for the duration of the test match. Wet conditions would certainly encourage some movements in the air and off the pitch for fast bowlers. The Rose Bowl pitch has been dry traditionally but overhead conditions will have a huge role to play this time around.

ENG vs PAK, 2nd Test, 03:30 PM IST, 13th August 2020, The Rose Bowl, Southampton

Head to Head (Last 5 games)

England: 03

Pakistan: 02

Draw: 00

England Squad

Joe Root(c), Rory Burns, Dominic Sibley, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Jos Buttler(w), Dominic Bess, Jofra Archer, Stuart Broad, James Anderson, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood, Sam Curran, Ollie Robinson

England Team News

• In all likelihood, Zak Crawley will replace Ben Stokes in the playing XI and will play at crucial number three spot. Certainly, replacing an all-rounder with a specialist batsman is not ideal but that’s the best way for England from the current squad.
• In the bowling department, Joe Root has hinted at the inclusion of James Anderson even after the recent lean patch. Looking at the forecast and potential wet conditions, this might not be a bad move.
• Another selection decision would be between Jofra Archer and Mark Wood as the latter was looking in great rhythm during the nets. Jofra Archer has been hot and cold all through the summer and his current role needs some reworking in terms of what England exactly want from him.

ENG Predicted XI

Rory Burns
Dominic Sibley
Zak Crawley
Joe Root(c)
Ollie Pope
Jos Buttler(w)
Chris Woakes
Dominic Bess
Jofra Archer
Stuart Broad
James Anderson

Pakistan Squad

Azhar Ali(c), Shan Masood, Abid Ali, Babar Azam, Asad Shafiq, Mohammad Rizwan(w), Shadab Khan, Yasir Shah, Mohammad Abbas, Kashif Bhatti, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Fawad Alam, Sohail Khan, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Imam-ul-Haq,

Pakistan Team News

• Shadab Khan was a controversial selection in the first match ahead of Fawad Alam but Shadab Khan did make some useful contribution with the bat in the first innings. Fawad Alam may be given a nod in the second test match even if that means taking out some quality from the bowling department.  
• Even if they go with the same pace lineup in the second match, Pakistan should definitely consider the better use of their resources. Naseem Shah was particularly under-utilized during the first test match of the series.
• There is significant pressure on Abid Ali, Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq to come good and give support to in-form Shan Masood and Babar Azam. The role of openers has always remained crucial in English conditions.

PAK Predicted XI

Shan Masood
Abid Ali
Azhar Ali (capt)
Babar Azam
Asad Shafiq
Mohammad Rizwan (wk)
Fawad Alam
Yasir Shah
Mohammad Abbas
Shaheen Shah Afridi
Naseem Shah

2nd Test England vs Pakistan Fantasy Cricket Tips 

WK: Jos Buttler
Batsmen: Joe Root, Rory Burns, Ollie Pope, Babar Azam, Shan Masood
All-rounders: Chris Woakes
Bowlers: James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Yasir Shah

Top Picks

• Joe Root looked good in the first test match to end his search for that illusive hundred but again he failed to do so. Joe Root has worked on the mental part of his batting during the winter and has been seen as hungry for runs this season. This can be a perfect opportunity for him to prosper. His last five scores are 14, 42, 17, 68* & 23.
• Chris Woakes has proved his worth in the first test match to rest all the questions about his place in the side. His batting has looked settled while his nip-backers have caught the batsmen off-guard so far. It is not a bad time to put your money on Chris Woakes and particularly so when you look at the forecasts.   
• Babar Azam is arguably the most elegant batsman to have ever come from Pakistan. He is on a mission to showcase his potentials all over the world. After the impressive Australia tour last year, he has started off brilliantly here. He missed out on a ton in the first match, one would be eager to see his graph taking a flight in the next match. His last five scores are 5, 69, 25*, 32 & 58.

• Stuart Broad has been magnificent all through the summer and he is expected to dominate again this week at Southampton. If you are looking for a logical captain’s pick, then your eyes should not go beyond Stuart Broad.
• We are again suggesting Shaheen Shah Afridi for your captain as he had a good match in the first encounter. Left-arm angle plus ability to get the movement off the pitch, Shaheen Shah Afridi can rattle the best of the batting lineups on his day.
• Shan Masood has made a strong case for himself after the hundred at Manchester. He is coming into this match from three consecutive tons in as many matches. This classy left-hander seemed to have found his key to unlock the success on the English shores after his disappointment in the first tour. His last five scores are 0, 156, 100, 5 & 135.

Predicted Winner

Draw can be a possibility in the second test match looking at the weather forecast for the match. In terms of results, England are clear favourites ahead of Pakistan to register an outright win.