Captain Ben Stokes is set to make his much-anticipated return to the England cricket team for the second Test against Pakistan, starting Tuesday in Multan. After recovering from a hamstring injury that sidelined him for the previous matches, Stokes aims to lead his side to another victory following their impressive win in the first Test.

Stokes back in action

Ben Stokes has been declared fit to play after successfully bowling in the nets, signalling his readiness to take on the role of a third seamer. The all-rounder acknowledges the importance of being sensible with his bowling workload but expresses confidence in making an impactful return to the field.

England's strong line-up

Joining Stokes in the team is Durham seamer Matthew Potts, making his comeback since the Lord's Test against Sri Lanka at the end of August. Meanwhile, seamers Gus Atkinson and Chris Woakes have been rested to maintain their fitness for future matches. England's impressive performance in the first Test saw them secure a resounding innings victory, led by remarkable individual performances from Harry Brook and Joe Root.

See Also: Why has Cameron Green been ruled out of the Border Gavaskar Trophy?

Captain Stokes' return is a significant boost for the England squad, which has already shown its mettle by winning the first Test by an innings and 47 runs. Stokes spoke candidly about his recovery journey, noting that he initially considered playing solely as a batsman. However, he ultimately felt ready to contribute with the ball as well, stating, "Those were the sort of thoughts that went through my head at home before we came out."

In the first Test, England's remarkable batting display was led by Harry Brook, who scored a stunning 317, and Joe Root, who added 262 runs. This performance was historic, as Pakistan became the first team in Test cricket's 147-year history to lose by an innings after scoring over 550 runs in their first innings. As the second Test approaches, the focus is on whether Stokes can make a significant impact in leading his team to another victory in Multan.

Following Liam Livingstone‘s departure from the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) season, Rajasthan Royals bid farewell to another English cricketer as explosive batsman Jos Buttler exits the tournament to fulfil his national commitments.

Buttler’s Farewell: Rajasthan Royals Lose a Key Player

In a poignant video shared by the Rajasthan Royals’ official social media handle, Jos Buttler is seen bidding farewell to his teammates before departing from the Royals’ camp. His departure leaves a void in the team, depriving Rajasthan of a critical player known for his explosive batting prowess.

Liam Livingstone’s Departure: English Exodus from IPL Continues

The exit of Jos Buttler marks the continuation of a trend wherein English players have been leaving the IPL midway to prepare for international duties. Liam Livingstone’s departure preceded Buttler’s exit, adding to the list of English stars relinquishing their IPL campaigns for national duty.

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Liam Livingstone’s premature departure from the IPL was driven by concerns over his fitness, particularly his troublesome knee. Having suffered from a series of muscle injuries recently, Livingstone prioritized his recovery for the T20 World Cup to ensure his availability for England’s campaign.

ECB’s Call: National Duty Beckons for England Players

The decision to leave the IPL stems from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) call for World Cup-bound players to return to the national setup ahead of the crucial series against Pakistan. With the T20Is against Pakistan serving as a dress rehearsal for the upcoming T20 World Cup, key players like Buttler become imperative for England.

Following Livingstone and Buttler’s exit, the rest of England’s World Cup squad members who participated in the IPL are expected to return home. Players like Will Jacks, Reece Topley, Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran, and Phil Salt will join their teammates in England, where they will regroup ahead of the series against Pakistan. The squad is scheduled to reconvene in Leeds ahead of England’s first T20I against Pakistan at Headingley on May 22.

Reunion in Leeds: England Squad Gathers for T20I Against Pakistan

The England squad’s reunion in Leeds marks the beginning of a crucial phase in their preparation for the T20 World Cup. As players regroup and focus shifts towards the series against Pakistan, anticipation builds among fans as they eagerly await the team’s performance on home soil.

In 2019 Pakistan went into their last league game needing a win margin of 300+ to make the top four. Now, they are in a similar spot needing a margin of 287 runs. In all likelihood, they are set to miss out due to net run rate again which will be a lot more hurtful considering they were one of the contenders for the top four coming into the tournament.

England though is putting to close a terrible tournament. The upcoming game could see a lot of farewells. Moeen Ali has hinted at some changes, while Ben Stokes and his journey with the ODI Team remains a question. Jos Buttler’s future as captain and the spots of most of the side are up for grabs. Irrespective, the upcoming game, a chance to seal a spot in the 2025 Champions Trophy is likely to be the last time a Golden generation of English players who came together in 2015 play together.

ENG vs PAK Match Details

Date: November 11th, 2023

Time:  2:00 PM IST

Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata

ENG vs PAK Weather Report

The weather looks pretty clear for the upcoming fixture.

ENG vs PAK Pitch Report

Kolkata has been good for spin and batting first could be a better option.

ENG vs PAK Head-to-Head

ENG vs PAK Predicted Playing XI

PAK Playing XI

Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shahfique, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Ifthikar Ahmed, Agha Salman, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Hasan Ali/ Shadab Khan, Mohammad Wasim

ENG Playing XI

Jonny Bairstow, Dawid Malan, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, Liam Livingstone, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Brydon Carse

See Also: Uncertainty surrounds Lockie Ferguson’s fitness

ENG vs PAK Key Players

Jos Buttler

Jos Buttler will be facing a lot of questions after the tournament and will want to reduce some of the questions with a good knock in a tournament that has seen him not contribute much with the bat. He will see a lot of his teammates moving around after the game and will hope to remain a constant as England look to come back from a bad tournament.

Haris Rauf

Haris Rauf was front and center in the action against South Africa. Had his appeal gone the other way, Pakistan would be a step ahead in the race to the Semi-Finals. Small margins though make a massive difference and Haris Rauf will know that well.

ENG vs PAK Match Tips

Although Pakistan are the one chasing a semi-final spot, England could spring a surprise with an era of players ending their Final tournament together in ODI Cricket.

Match Prediction: England Will Win the Match

For the majority of the fourth day, Pakistan was well ahead. They continued the procedures with 157 runs expected while England needed to pick six wickets. Mohammad Nawaz and Saud Shakeel put together a tenacious partnership that scored 80 runs before Ben Stokes delegated control to Mark Wood, who struck out both batters to shift the game’s momentum. However, Pakistan supporters were enraged by Shakeel’s dismissal because the decision was contentious. Before Pakistan captain Babar Azam broke his silence on the wicket, the controversial England dismissal received a lot of criticism on social media.

At lunch, in the 94th over of Pakistan’s chase, the dismissal occurred.

Wood angled the ball down towards the leg side and continued his short-ball strategy. Shakeel tried to play the pull shot, but he gloved it, and the wicketkeeper Pope made a diving catch on his right. Review was carried out right away. The weak signal had gone out.

Replays showed Pope grabbing the ball, but after completing the dive, he grounded it. Joel Wilson, the third umpire, took a long time to review the inclusive replays and ultimately gave the soft signal that had been given earlier.

Shakeel returned to the pavilion with a score of 94 off 213 balls, looking well positioned for what could have been his first century and the match-winning hit for Pakistan.

“The Shakeel dismissal cost us. It looked to us as if the ball had touched the ground. As a professional, you have to respect the umpire’s decision, but we felt the ball had been grounded.” 

he said. 

ALSO READ: England seal the series in 26-run thriller against Pakistan

Abrar Ahmed appeared to pose a threat to England after lunch with a rash of boundaries, but James Anderson ended his entertaining cameo with 17 runs. England won a historic series thanks to Pakistan’s quick loss of their final two wickets. Then again, Pakistan hit a low after very nearly fifty years, having lost three sequential Tests at home this year.

Pakistan lost the key wicket of half centurion Imam-ul-Haq late on the third day to give England renewed hope in the second cricket test on Sunday. Pakistan finished the day on 198-4. Needs a further 157 to deny England a second successive victory in the three-match series.

England, which held a 79-run first-innings lead, had set up another imposing target of 355 runs. A deteriorating Multan Cricket Stadium wicket after it was bowled out for 275 in its second innings. The tourists had already successfully defended 342 runs. On a flat wicket in the first test to clinch a 74-run win at Rawalpindi in England’s first test in Pakistan for 17 years.

Solid stuff in the final session 👏

All to play for on Day Four.#PAKvENG | #UKSePK pic.twitter.com/r5xL4zvpBJ

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) December 11, 2022

The lefthanded pair of Imam, who made 60, and Saud Shakeel (54 not out) had thwarted England seam and spin for just over 2-1/2 hours. Shared a 108-run stand before Imam played a lose drive against Jack Leach. The lefthander put his head down in despair before leaving the field as Leach provided the much-needed breakthrough.

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Both lefthanded batters showed grit and determination and used their feet well against England’s spinners until Imam’s miscue. England had earlier missed an opportunity to dismiss Imam soon after he completed his half-century. Television replays showed a tiny spike on Imam’s bat when he tried to glance Mark Wood down the legside delivery. However, captain Ben Stokes didn’t go for the referral.

Third fifty in four innings – @saudshak shows his class once again 🌟#PAKvENG | #UKSePK pic.twitter.com/iUUvvh4loG

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) December 11, 2022

James Anderson, OIlie Robinson and Wood had baffled Pakistan with a superb display of seam and swing bowling in the middle session. Claiming three wickets for 17 runs before Imam and Shakeel dug in and took Pakistan to 136-3 at tea.

During a Test match against Pakistan in Rawalpindi, the England cricket team, led by Ben Stokes, played a style of cricket that was jaw-dropping. In the first test, the English team was praised for its bravery and emerged victorious in all three areas of the game.

The England team broke world records in Test cricket by a significant margin during their historic 74-run victory.

Most runs in a decisive Test match

There were 1768 runs scored in the Test match. Pakistan scored 579 runs while England scored 657 in the first innings. In the second innings, the three lions scored 264 runs at a run rate of over 7, while Pakistan scored 268 runs in their chase. As a result, the first Test between these two teams became the match with the most runs scored in a Test match that ended in a win. Before this, a match between England and Australia in 1921 produced a record total of 1753 runs.

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Record double-century opening stands

Additionally, the only match with two opening stands of a double century is the Test match. Before Pakistan’s Imam-ul-Haq and Abdullah Shafique smashed 225 runs for the first wicket in the first innings, England’s Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett scored a massive 233-run partnership.

All openers scored hundreds in the first innings

This is also the only match in which each of the four openers has scored hundreds in the first innings. Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley each scored 107 runs, while Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq scored 121 runs and 114 runs, respectively.

Record runs scored on opening day

By scoring the most runs on the first day of a Test match, the England cricket team cemented its place in cricket history. On Day 1 of a Test match, England’s score of 506/4 is 12 runs more than Sri Lanka’s score of 494.

Most tons on a single day of a Test match

In addition, the England batsmen hold the record for the most hundreds scored in a single Test day. On a flat pitch in Rawalpindi, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, and Harry Brook all hit tons. They currently hold the record for the most tons shipped in a single day.

Most runs in the opening session

Additionally, the English team now holds the record for the most runs scored in a single Test opening session. On Day 1, they scored 174 runs in the first session.

Jimmy is exceptional, nothing more or less. The record books fell in the ongoing Test match between Pakistan and England in Rawalpindi because of the excellent batting by both teams. However, the old horse Jimmy Anderson, who can compete with anyone, is rarely mentioned. 

The Test match has been a run-fest in which both teams are scoring a lot of runs.

Heavy scrutiny has been paid to the pitch, which is certainly not conducive to bowling. Despite all the criticism, England’s steadfast James Anderson has reached a new milestone. 

The English legend has surpassed Anil Kumble’s record of 956 wickets (ODIs, Tests, and T20Is) with his two wickets in the second innings of the England vs. Pakistan Test match. James Anderson is currently the third-highest wicket-taker in history with 957. Muttiah Muralitharan, who has 1347 wickets, and Shane Warne, who has 1001 wickets, are close behind Anderson at the moment. It is interesting to note that Anderson is the only active bowler among the top five players. 

The right-arm pace bowler has taken 18 wickets in T20Is, 269 in ODIs, and 670 in Tests. In the 2003 match against Zimbabwe at Lord’s, Anderson made his Test debut for England and has never looked back. Anderson was born in Burnley, Lancashire. At the time, he was probably one of the best swing bowlers in the world. In a sensational spell against Pakistan in the 2003 World Cup, Anderson gave the world a glimpse of his talent shortly after making his debut. 

ALSO READ: ENG vs PAK: ENG wins by 74 runs!

In his early years, Anderson was thought to be too soft and lacked the talent to play at the international level. However, the English coaching staff did tweak his actions, and ever since, he has never looked back and has become one of the best athletes in cricket. Anderson’s activity is to such an extent that he produces a characteristic outswing with the old ball and furthermore switches it. Anderson is a bowler who is difficult to play when he is singing.

ENG vs PAK, Test: England 657 (Brook 153, Crawley 122, Pope 108, Duckett 107) and 264 for 7 dec (Brook 87, Root 73, Crawley 50) beat Pakistan 579 (Babar 136, Imam 121, Shafique 114, Jacks 6-161) and 268 (Shakeel 76, Anderson 4-36, Robinson 4-50) by 74 runs

Surely, a win is a win? Nope. On the last night of a remarkable Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi, England’s celebrations of a historic victory by 74 runs are understandably full of extreme tubthumping. The visitors’ bold declaration at tea on the penultimate day gave them four sessions to claim 10 wickets on a pitch that produced 1768 runs, the third-highest total in the match’s history. Pakistan needed 343 runs to win. 

After Monday’s tea, there were still five wickets to be taken, and the sun was sinking quickly and threatening to set. But Ben Stokes and his team rose to the occasion, and Player of the Match Ollie Robinson’s two wickets in two overs, followed by James Anderson’s two wickets in the same over, gave them the advantage they required. In Pakistan’s second innings, Robinson and Anderson each took four wickets, but it was spinner Jack Leach who took the final wicket, Naseem Shah, with what could have been just a few seconds left. 

This gave England its first Test victory in Pakistan in 17 years. On the flattest of tracks, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, and Ben Duckett’s centuries in England’s record-setting first innings of 657 were put into perspective as Pakistan produced three of their own to reduce the tourists’ lead to 78 runs, with Will Jacks taking six wickets on his debut. Then came another Creek star turn, his fast fire 87 off 65 balls the feature of Britain’s subsequent innings, upstaged simply by Stokes’s unexpected choice to pronounce. 

However, the final day and its final 90 minutes were the deciding factors

England were vindicated in their decision not to take the new ball that became available three overs after tea after finally coaxing an aging ball to reverse after lunch. With Agha Salman and Azhar Ali making a half-century for the fifth wicket and Pakistan needing another 86 runs to win in the final session, Robinson caught Salman with an in swinger that pinned him back in his crease. 

England overturned the initial not-out decision because ball-tracking showed he was on target. Robinson’s inswinger shaved the outside of Naseem Shah’s off stump about a third of the way up on the next ball, but the bails stayed put. However, Azhar was caught at leg slip by Joe Root, who was attempting to flick another inswinger off his hip, in no time.

With the bat, Stokes supported his two main seamers with a typically courageous haul, and Anderson capitalized with two quick wickets late in the day. Standing in for Ben Foakes, who had not recovered from the stomach bug that had struck the England camp on the eve of the match, he dismissed Zahid Mahmood thanks to a fantastic diving catch down the leg side by Pope. 

After two balls, a full inswinger from Anderson hit Haris Rauf on the pads. Rauf, who suffered a quad strain during this match and will miss the next Test in Multan, unsuccessfully requested the DRS, and the umpire upheld his dismissal. As Naseem and Mohammad Ali staged crucial resistance with their final-wicket stand, Naseem rode luck, edging Stokes between Pope and Root at first slip. With the light rapidly fading, Stokes finally took the second new ball, but Leach won the game when he pinned Naseem on the front pad, delaying the tourists’ full-blown jubilation despite the batter’s hopeful review. Imam-ul-Haq, who had steadied his side from 25 for 2 on the fourth day but added only five to his overnight 43 before being strangled by Anderson down the leg side, was England’s only victim in the morning session. 

Mohammad Rizwan and Saud Shakeel attacked England’s spinners in the morning session, and Pakistan added 89 runs to their overnight score of 80 for 2, despite only scoring 13 runs in the first hour. Therefore, following lunch, Stokes entered the fray in the first over and discovered some reverse swing, which Anderson used to devastating effect. On 46, Anderson struck out Rizwan, ending an 87-run stand with Shakeel with a shot that reversed just enough to find an edge that flew through to Pope. Azhar, who had retired hurt the previous evening after Robinson dealt a nasty blow to the finger, was reinstated following the dismissal. When Shakeel fell after scoring a fine half-century on debut, Robinson struck again. 

Keaton Jennings, a substitute fielder for the injured Liam Livingstone, took a mid-air stunner leaping to his right after Robinson snagged Shakeel with a fuller ball outside off. England had set attacking fields throughout. When Robinson hit Salman on the pad while he was lunging forward, England thought he had a second chance. However, on review, with the ball going down the leg side, the umpire Joel Wilson upheld his not-out decision. England were convinced when Salman was given out lbw on a return to spin after being struck in the midriff while attempting to slog-sweep Leach, if that was the breakthrough they needed. 

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However, when the DRS revealed that the ball was going over the stumps, the batter overturned his dismissal. Robinson saw Pope miss a tough chance down the leg side off Azhar on 36 in the over before tea, adding to their problems. Eventually, no possibilities or half-chances made a difference as Britain’s understanding and freshly discovered confidence in themselves under Stokes and lead trainer Brendon McCullum won the day.

ENG VS PAK Day 2 Test: Close Pakistan 181 for 0 (Imam-ul-Haq 90*, Shafique 89*) trail England 657 (Brook 153, Crawley 122, Pope 108, Duckett 107) by 476 runs

On the second day of their match in Rawalpindi, Pakistan openers Imam-ul-Haq and Abdullah Shafique harnessed up and shone toward England’s enormous first-innings total.

England were bowled out for 657 at better than a run per ball shortly before lunch thanks to Harry Brook’s continued success from his overnight 101 to reach 153 off 116 balls. The home team made it through more than two sessions unharmed. To the dismay of PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja, they staged an opening partnership approaching the 200-run mark on a pitch that remained a road throughout both days, with Imam scoring 90 not out at stumps and Shafique scoring 89. 

Throughout the middle session, the pair handled a spin attack from Jack Leach, Will Jacks, and Joe Root with class. This was in contrast to England’s fireworks from the previous four matches, but there were still glimpses of excitement. Shafique advanced down the field and bowled Jacks over long-on for Pakistan’s fifty, breaking a run of 11 dots from England’s only frontline spinner when Imam launched Leach over the rope at deep midwicket. Shafique reached his half-century with his seventh four of the innings, a magnificent drive to the cover boundary off Jacks. Imam followed suit, pushing a Root delivery towards cover for a single. 

As captain Ben Stokes set attacking fields, England bowled slow for 21 overs in a row. When Ben Foakes was unable to recover from the sickness bug that swept through the touring camp on match eve, Jacks took on the part-timer role that secured him a Test debut. Root played a role he has played many times before when England’s other debutant and occasional spinner, Liam Livingstone, suffered a broken knee that kept him off the field for much of the afternoon and evening. All of it was a prelude to James Anderson returning to attempt a reverse swing. 

There wasn’t a lot on offer from the restricted proof of the one he sent down before tea, nor was there anything else than a clue after the break, despite the fact that there was an opportunity. With the fifth ball of the evening session, Anderson hit Shafique in the ribs with a shot that kissed the glove and went down the leg side to Ollie Pope, who took over for Foakes. Pope dived to his left and made a great catch, but the on-field umpires gave preference to Marais Erasmus, their TV counterpart, and replays showed that the ball hit Pope’s glove just a little bit before going to ground. 

After Leach gave up 12 off the 41st over, Shafique hit a six down the ground, and Imam cleared the middle stump for four, Stokes tried to make an impact but the hosts held firm. By lunch, Pakistan had taken England’s remaining six wickets, but England had already scored 151 more runs and were 506 for 4, the most runs ever scored on the first day of a Test match. On Friday, Stokes hit another back over bowler Naseem Shah’s head off the second ball, bringing England’s total to 41 off 18 deliveries. On Thursday, Stokes had helped England surpass that mark with a brutal six over long-on off Mohammad Ali in the dying light. 

When Naseem took the pace off and struck the middle stump’s top, he was out after four balls. Haris Rauf, another quick, sat in the locker room with an ice pack wrapped around his right quad after rolling over the ball while fielding the day before. In the meantime, leg spinner Zahid Mahmood went through yet another agony. His four wickets cost 235 runs in 33 overs, making it the most expensive analysis by a Test debutant. Livingstone faced just three more balls before holing out to deep square leg off Naseem after lifting Zahid for six on the seventh ball he faced in a Test. 

Stream took to Zahid in a momentous over, which went for 27 runs. He reverse-swept a six over extra cover, swept the following ball fine for a four, and reverse-swept once more for a fourth. He also wasn’t done yet as he lofted the next ball for six back down the ground and hit the fourth ball for four through long on. On the final ball, Brook attempted to go big once more, but he misjudged and sent a top edge back over his head. The ball trickled away for three more runs, adding to Zahid’s woes. Brook scored 150 off Naseem’s next over with two fours in three balls, the second of which split the keeper and first slip for four. 

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However, he lofted an attempt to sweep the next ball to Saud Shakeel at deep square leg. Ollie Robinson took Britain past 600 with a six off Zahid down the ground before Jacks chose Naseem at midwicket off of Mohammad Ali after a 30-run appearance. Robinson failed to reverse Zahid’s lbw dismissal for 37, and Anderson missed Zahid’s googly straight to Imam at deep square leg, making him the last man out.

On the first day of the first Test in Rawalpindi, England decimated Pakistan’s bowling attack, with 23-year-old Harry Brook leading the way. He was one of four England batters who scored centuries in the day’s massive score of 506/4, which they achieved in just 75 overs. Brook finished the day unbeaten on 101 off 81 balls and with a strike rate of a whopping 124.69, making him the fastest of the centurions. 

Three of the centurions had strike rates of over 100 at the end of their innings.

Throughout the day, Pakistan were sprayed with boundaries, and Brook scored 14 fours and two sixes. Amazingly, he scored six of his fours in a single over. The bowler who took the brunt of the assault was debutant Saud Shakeel. Over long-on, Brook first hit the medium pacer’s back with a length delivery. Brook drilled the second ball through covers after Shakeel overdid it. 

He pulled the fourth ball to the boundary as well as hit the third ball directly to the ground. Brook completed the set by hitting the sixth ball through covers, and the fifth ball vanished through covers. Only four batters have done it in Test cricket. In addition, Brook reached his century with a four, completing the feat in just 81 balls. 

It was the third quickest century ever for Britain in Tests, outperforming even Zak Crawley who had taken that mantle only before in the day. In the meantime, England captain Ben Stokes went on the offensive himself to end the day with Brook. 

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Before the umpires gave the Pakistani players a break by ending the day’s play due to poor light, Stokes was on 34 off 15 balls, hitting six fours and one six. The former record of 112 runs scored on the first day of a Test match was broken by England. Additionally, they are the first team to score 500 runs on Day 1 of a Test. When Australia defeated South Africa in 1910, they scored 494/6, breaking the previous record.