Pakistan Eye Series Lifeline at Historic Lord’s Battle

Pakistan arrive at Lord’s on the back foot, and there is no hiding from that reality. The innings and 103-run hammering at Headingley was as one sided as it gets, Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue sharing sixteen wickets between them as Pakistan were bowled out for 171 and 135 in fewer than 86 overs combined. It was Joe Root’s first Test back as full time captain and it could not have gone better for England, who now lead the three match series 1-0 and will fancy sealing it here before the series moves to Edgbaston.

The one genuine bright spot for Pakistan heading into this Test is the return of their captain. Babar Azam missed Headingley entirely after a finger injury picked up during the West Indies tour was aggravated by a blow in the warm up match against a PCC Select XI in Beckenham. Speaking to reporters at Lord’s on Wednesday, Babar confirmed he is now around ninety percent fit and has had multiple full net sessions, facing pace, spin and throwdowns without any visible discomfort. Bowling coach Umar Gul backed that up, saying Babar batted a complete session and looked good doing it, though the team will likely wait until close to match day to formally confirm his inclusion.

Babar did not try to dress up what happened in Leeds. Asked directly about the criticism the side is facing, he admitted plainly that Pakistan did not play well in the first Test but promised a different brand of cricket this time around. When pushed on Pakistan’s long history of bouncing back when written off, he leaned into that reputation rather than shy away from it, saying fans can expect anything from this team because whenever things look bad, Pakistan tend to respond by stepping up. He was also clear that no individual return, including his own, will fix things on its own, calling for complete performances from the batting and bowling units together, better partnerships in the middle order, senior batters converting starts into big scores, and an end to the habit of losing wickets in clusters that hurt them so badly at Headingley.

His return should also sort out a batting order that looked short of options without him. Azan Awais could make way for Babar to slot in at number four, with Shan Masood or Abdullah Shafique likely to move up to open. There is also a chance Pakistan freshen up the pace attack, with the uncapped Ubaid Shah in the frame to add extra raw speed to a group that lacked real firepower in the first Test.

Conditions at Lord’s will not make life any easier. This is Pakistan’s first Test at the ground since 2018, and the surface has been producing plenty of seam movement and uneven bounce this season, most notably during England’s win over New Zealand in June when the ICC rated the pitch unsatisfactory after just 165 overs produced 33 wickets in two days. With England’s four pronged pace attack, led by Robinson, Tongue and Jofra Archer, licking their lips at conditions like these, Pakistan’s top order will need serious discipline and application if they are to avoid a repeat of Headingley.

Off the field, England have their own distractions to deal with after Brydon Carse became the seventh centrally contracted player cited in a nightclub incident since October, leaving Root visibly frustrated in his pre match comments. Pakistan will hope that noise, even if Carse himself was not expected to feature, gives them something to exploit. For a Pakistan side that needs a result rather than just a performance to keep the series alive, Babar Azam’s return and his defiant tone in the pre match press conference at least offer a starting point. Whether the batting can back it up on a lively Lord’s pitch from tomorrow will decide whether this series stays alive heading into Edgbaston, or whether England wrap it up early.