Pakistan face uphill task against England at Lord’s

Pakistan face a daunting task to revive their three-match Test series against England when the second match begins at Lord’s on Thursday, with the visitors under pressure to produce a vastly improved performance. Pakistan were beaten by an innings and 103 runs at Headingley, falling 1-0 behind after a display that exposed weaknesses in all three departments and drew widespread criticism. Their batting struggled against the seam and bounce, the bowlers failed to maintain consistent lines and the fielding also fell below expectations. The visitors will need a far more disciplined approach if they are to challenge an England side looking to seal the series. Lord’s, however, offers Pakistan some reason for optimism. They defeated England at the venue in 2016 and again in 2018, although repeating those successes will require a significant improvement. The conditions are expected to be less demanding than those at Headingley, where movement and extra bounce caused Pakistan’s batsmen major problems. That could give the visitors an opportunity to show greater resistance, but concentration and shot selection will remain crucial. Pakistan’s pace attack also needs to find its rhythm after struggling to hit the right areas in the opening Test. A five-bowler combination could give them the depth required to maintain pressure on England’s batting, while the visitors are also considering playing off-spinner Sajid Khan. The possible return of captain Babar Azam could provide another major boost. Babar missed the first Test with a hand injury and his presence would strengthen Pakistan’s batting, although his limited preparation following the injury could be a concern. England, meanwhile, have also endured an inconsistent World Test Championship campaign, winning only five of their 14 matches. Pakistan are ninth in the standings with two wins from seven. Stand-in captain Agha Salman said after the Headingley defeat that Pakistan had failed to execute their plans, but insisted that the shortcomings would not necessarily be repeated at Lord’s. For Pakistan, the challenge is clear: greater discipline with the bat, more accurate bowling and sharper fielding could give them a chance to turn the series around. Pakistan were scheduled to undergo training on Tuesday.