Pakistan v England Second Test Tips: Panic-button Pakistan in trouble

• Stokes set to return

• Used Multan pitch should spin

• Runs shorts best in third snd fourth

• Batting first crucial

Pakistan v England
Tuesday 15 October 06:00
TV: live on Sky Sports

Pakistan v England Second Test team news

Pakistan have pressed the panic button after the humiliation in game one. They have dropped Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah. Not just for this game but the rest of the series.

The trio are probably the team's most high profile players. In terms of Babar, he is Pakistan's pin-up. Their Virat Kohli. It is hard to see how effectively blaming him for the loss will end well. A newly-formed selection commitee have attempted to justify their roles early in the piece.

Their relacements are twin slow left-armers Kamran Ghulam ad Mehran Mumtaz and reserve keeper Haseebullah. Sajid Khan and Noman Ali, both spinners and recalled, look likely to play. Domestic veterans Mohammad Ali and Mir Hamza may be the new-ball attack.

Possible Pakistan XI: Shafique, Ayub, Masood, Shakeel, Salman, Rizwan, Jamal, Sajid, Mir Hamza, Ali, Numan

England have broken a golden rule and changed a winning team to find room for a fit-again Ben Stokes. Stokes surely only plays, though, if he is able to play as an all-rounder so he must be ready.

Chris Woakes makes way. Gus atkinson has been left out presumably due to workloads concerns so matt potts plays. Jack Leach and Shoaib Bashir should prepare for long spells. Joe Root should get plenty of bowling.

England XI: Duckett, Crawley, Pope, Root, Brook, Stokes, Smith, Carse, Leach, Potts, Bashir

Pakistan v England Second Test pitch report

Multan was the perfect pitch for Bazball in game one. It was so flat England were able to smash Pakistan at will and apply huge pressure on the third-innings. The home team's response is to use exactly the same strip again. Bowling footholds have been repaired and the players have been inspecting it carefully. Pakistan's plan is clear. They are going to pick at least three spinners (Salman Ali AGha will be heavily involved) and hope the surface wears sufficiently to get them back into the game.

There was some uneven bounce towards the end of the first Test but we're far from convinced this is going to be a tricky track in the first two innings. By innings three and four, yes. Pakistan have been hopeless in their second innings and their highest score in their last six is 237. We may have to keep our powder dry for second time around and short their runs.

If you want first-innings runs plays, any sort of high line in the 400s for England could be a short. But we don't expect the market to treat this as a fresh surface.

Pakistan v England Second Test match prediction

England are 1.814/5 favourites from 2.226/5. Their victory by an innings in the first Test was stunning and Pakistan's reaction is not one from a team which are thinking rationally. The visitors should go on to wrap the series but caution should be advised.

That's not a great price about a team batting last on a wicket which has the potential to be worn down by seven innings and a hell of a lot of overs. A chase of anything more than 150 could be difficult indeed.

On the flip side, literally, if England were to bat first they should dominate. And it could, in fact, be over very quickly. We're not sure the hosts will have much stomach for a fight staring down the barrel of 400-plus in first-innings on a pitch they have selected to use again hoping it will rag. A finish on day three could be on the cards.

Pakistan v England Second Test exchange strategy

The pitch dictates everything. And although there is no guarantee that it wears, crumbles and takes spin, it is a fair strategy. So the toss is crucial. We would be very surprised if the team batting first would be unable to take advantage enough to go odds-on. So Pakistan from 3.6013/5 to a short price is an obvious trade.

For England, any sort of drift to odds-again in-play with them batting first should be snaffled. When pressure and spin comes to the fore late on, they should get the job done.

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