England vs Pakistan (ENG vs PAK) 2nd Test Live Cricket Score Updates: After a remarkable victory in the opening Test in Manchester, England are gearing up for the second Test against Pakistan in Southampton. With Ben Stokes out of contention for the remaining two Tests, England will be missing their match-winner. There are also concerns over James Andersonโs immediate future and how best he can utilise Jofra Archer in a pace attack thatโs brimming with an abundance of riches.
On the other hand, Azhar Ali’s men will have everything to play, knowing only a win will bring in a chance for them to win the series. Under no circumstances, Pakistan would like to lose hold on the match as losing it would directly mean England would be the winners of the three-match Test series. Pakistan, meanwhile, will believe that they were the better of the two teams in Manchester, and it was just a case of their batting implosion in the second innings that cost them the match.
England vs Pakistan 2nd Test is being played at Southampton.
Cricketers make their way back to the pitch after rain subsides and the covers come off. Abid and Azhar steadying the ship.
A session of missed opportunities for England - two dropped catches allow Pakistan to reach 62-1 before rain causes early lunch. PAK- 62/1 after 23.4 overs | Abid Ali is not out on 33 and giving him company is Azhar Ali on 20. Scroll down for all the highlights.
It's all gone dark and cloudy at Southampton and probably the perfect time for James Anderson to come back into the attack. For Pakistan, the 50 has come up and it's time to capitalize good starts for Azhar and Abid -- they need to make it big. The 50-run partnership between the two has also come up. PAK- 56/1 after 21 overs
Once again it was the nip-backer frim Woakes which came in sharply and Ali is beaten and the ball hits on the box. He is in pain and the phyio comes in. Some words of comfort... "I don't think any medicine can work here," says Wasim Akram on commentary! PAK- 45/1 after 18 overs
Woakes gets an edge off Abid Ali but Sibley lets it go. England have been shambolic in the slips! So both the batsmen at the crease have now been dropped by England. Will it prove too costly? Lets think while the players take drinks! PAK- 41/1 after 14 overs
Woakes with a nip-backer and Azhar Ali was beaten but the ball after hitting his thigh rolled back and almost kissed the stumps. WOW! Is this the piece of luck he needs to kick off a big innings? PAK- 34/1 after 12 overs
This seems like a good move as he can move the ball both ways to the right-handers at the crease. Incidentally, England have never lost a Test at home whenever Curran is at the crease. PAK 27/1 after 11 overs.
Since the start of 2018, Azhar Ali averages 11.71 against the nip-backer in Test cricket. Chris Woakes - just into the attack - loves that delivery, and will be looking to target Azhar's weakness early.
Azhar Ali in Tests outside Asia since 2018:
18 inns
212 runs
11.77 avg
1 fifty
FOUR! Anderson is guilty of over pitching it just a bit and Abid Ali leans into it and drives it through the extra cover region. Meanwhile, Abid Ali is lucky to survive after being dropped by Sibley in the previous over. PAK- 11/1 after 5 overs.
LBW! Shan Masood is gone for 1and England have an early breakthrough. Beautiful late swing from James Anderson and Masood struck plumb in front. Classic swing bowlers delivery and it takes Anderson just eight balls to put things to normal. PAK - 6/1 after 2.2 overs
Masood and Abid Ali are at the crease. Masood is on strike. Anderson will open the attack. And a boundary of the first over and its a leg-bye, loose from Anderson. PAK- 6/0 after the 1st over. Did you know James Anderson's second ball bowled today was his 33,333rd in Test cricket !
"The extra batsman is much-needed and that means that Shafiq will need to come in a number five with Fawad probably at number six. Fawad hasn't played Test cricket since 2009; he's averaging just under 42 in Test cricket."
Fawad Alam becomes the 25th man (and second from Pakistan) to make another Test appearance after waiting at least 10 years. He joins Younis Ahmed, who played in 1987 - 17 years after his previous Test.
S Masood, A Ali, Azhar Ali, B Azam, A Shafiq, F Alam, Mohammad Rizwan, Y Shah, M Abbas, S Afridi, N Shah
R Burns, D Sibley, Z Crawley, J Root, O Pope, J Buttler, C Woakes, S Curran, D Bess, S Broad, J Anderson
Pakistan have opted to bat in the second Test! Fawad Alam has been named in their XI for his first Test since November 2009
Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Hafeez is isolating after breaching the bio-bubble protocol on Wednesday. Hafeez met a member of the public at a golf course without keeping two-meter distance.
For his captain Joe Root, Ben Stokes is Mr Incredible. For his colleague Chris Woakes, a resourceful all-rounder himself, he’s the man with the golden arm. It’s a tribute to Stokes’s excellence that none of these epithets strike a hyperbolic note.
Over the last couple of years, Stokes has influenced more games than most cricketers manage in their entire career. Not since Jacques Kallis has cricket had a multi-talented performer of his calibre. This year he averages 58.27 with the bat and 18.73 with the ball – sparkling numbers that ensure even the epithet Mr Irreplaceable does not sound over the top. (
Whoever wins the toss should bat or bowl?