The stage is set for the second Test match of this 3-match series between hosts England and Pakistan at the iconic Home of Cricket at Lord’s, London. England lead the series 1-0 after a comprehensive innings win at Leeds inside 3 days and although off-field issues regarding Brydon Carse affected them again, the hosts would like to put their best foot forward and seal the series against a struggling Pakistan side.
Pakistan will be bolstered by the return of Babar Azam their captain from injury as he declared he is 90% fit now to take the field. The batting needs him to fire and lead from the front. Pakistan who were outplayed in all facets of the game at Leeds have a good record in London lately including at Lord’s. Since 2016, they have won two matches over at Lord’s and 3 in total at London. Saying so, England have been unbeaten at Lord’s in their last 4 matches since 2024. It is shaping up to be an interesting contest one hopes in London.
Overview
The stage is set for the second of three Tests to get underway as England takes on Pakistan at Lord’s, London from Thursday, 27th August, 2026 onwards. England after winning at Leeds comprehensively inside 3 days were once again affected by off-field drama as Brydon Carse was involved in drinking issues and was subsequently left out of the squad with Sony Baker coming in as his replacement. England’s captain Joe Root looked frustrated and said they keep on making stupid mistakes.
Root & Co would like to keep the off-field story behind them and continue from where they left off at Leeds after beating Pakistan by an innings and 103 runs inside 3 days. It was all England as Pakistan without their talisman captain Babar Azam were found clueless to say the least with the bat and then with the ball in hand as well. It was complete domination from England with rain playing its part in the first two days and despite that we were done by Day 3 Tea break.
It was England who won the toss and decided to bowl first under overcast conditions and Ollie Robinson was on song throughout knocking the top order quickly while Josh Tongue also supported him as both picked 5 wickets apiece to keep Pakistan down to 171 in the first innings. Abdullah Shafique played well for his half-century while Imam-ul-Haq made 42 but the innings frittered away as Pakistan lost their last 5 wickets for 21 runs.
In reply, England piled on the misery. No one got a century but half-centuries from Harry Brook who made 92, Jordan Cox who made 73 and Joe Root who also made 66 alongside Dan Lawrence as well who made 51 and others chipping in here and there helped England post 409 and a lead of 238 runs. The pacers of Pakistan disappointed a lot while young spinner Ali Usman despite being expensive picked up 5 wickets and was the only silver lining in Pakistan’s bowling.
Faced with a deficit of 238 runs, Pakistan were blown away for 135 with no one really getting going while the wickets were shared between Ollie Robinson, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue and a wicket also to Gus Atkinson as England rolled over Pakistan for 135 to win by an innings and 103 runs by Tea on Day 3. Pakistan will be bolstered by the return of their talisman captain Babar Azam who said that he is 90% match fit. He is likely to replace Azan Awais with the batting order shuffling a little bit from the last Test match.
Pakistan might make changes to their pace department as well with Ubaid Shah coming in place of either Khurram Shahzad or Mohammad Ali. Pakistan will be bolstered by their record in London recently especially at Lord’s with wins coming in 2016 and 2018 very recently. They have won a total of 5 matches at Lord’s. Pakistan likes to play at London. Saying so, the hosts England have won their last four games here since 2024. We expect England to play the same side that played at Leeds as it was a short Test match with no real workload for the bowlers.
Joe Root is set to play in his 168th Test match and thereby surpassing Stuart Broad (167) and go on level with Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting both of whom have played 168 Tests so far. Sachin Tendulkar with 200 Test matches and James Anderson with 188 Test matches are the only two players who have more Test appearances than the England captain. This is Root and Babar’s second stint as captains of their respective sides.
The stage is set and we shall see which of the two captains in Root or Babar inspire their team towards the win. England are placed in 7th place in WTC standings while Pakistan are in 9th place. This series is more about bragging rights and who wins the series. It won’t really affect the WTC standings as both teams are out of contention for sure.
Head-To-Head
England and Pakistan have played against each other in 93 matches in which England have won 31 and Pakistan have won 23. 39 matches have ended in a draw. In the last 10 encounters, it’s 7-3 to England with England winning the last Test by an innings and 103 runs.
Pitch and Weather Report
The pitch at Lord’s is expected to be a flat, true batting track which is anticipated following criticism of earlier lively and uneven surfaces at Lord’s. The famous Lord’s slope will still offer some early movement and carry for fast bowlers in the first session. The pitch is expected to flatten out nicely for the batters through the middle days, with spinners coming into play later on Days 4 and 5.
The weather in London does not look that promising if we are being brutally honest looking at the radar with rain expected to play a part in all 5 days. On Day 1 there is a 80% chance of rain with high threat of delays. Day 2 has 40% chance of showers and it is the same prediction for Day 3. Day 4 has 20% chance of light/passing clouds or light rain which is the best forecast of all the days. Day 5 has a 40% chance of rain. Let’s see how weather plays a role here.
Predicted/Probable Playing XIs of both sides
Here, we will try and predict the probable or possible predicted XIs of both sides.
England XI: Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Jordan Cox, Joe Root (c), Harry Brook, Dan Lawrence, Jamie Smith (wk), Ollie Robinson, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue.
Pakistan XI: Imam-ul-Haq, Shan Masood, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam (c), Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Ali Usman, Khurram Shahzad/Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Abbas, Ubaid Shah.
Key Players to watch out for in this clash
Joe Root: England’s best player Joe Root is now the world’s best player as well. Joe Root will be disappointed that he could not get a big hundred and had to settle with 66. But he looked good out there in the middle. He is the fulcrum of this batting and loves playing at Lord’s. He is expected to do well and more often than not does his job and we expect more of the same from the talisman.
Ollie Robinson: The hero of the last match Ollie Robinson will prove to be a threat for the Pakistani batters. He ripped apart Pakistan in the first innings and was equally good in the second innings. England will hunt like a pack of wolves with Robinson, Archer, Tongue and Atkinson putting serious questions on Pakistan team. Robinson will be the main man but the others can step up if needed.
Babar Azam: Pakistan will be relieved their captain is back to lead them. Babar Azam will bat at 4 and Pakistan will be hoping he gives them something to cheer about. Whenever he plays, he becomes the key player and so the likes of Abdullah Shafique and Shan Masood have to support him. But Babar needs run and maybe a ton as he is yet to score since 2022. He has a stellar record in England and Babar would want to do well and hope to level the series 1-1.
Mohammad Abbas: By his standards, it was a below par performance from Mohammad Abbas on a helpful pitch at Leeds. He has tremendous county knowledge and playing in England. He is the spearhead of this attack and Pakistan will look up to him for inspiration and rattle England’s top order. He was economical and got a wicket as well but was not at his best. He must conjure his best form in this do-or-die Test match for Pakistan.
Key Stats and Records to look out for in this clash
- Pakistan have a fond relationship with Lord’s, having won each of their last two Tests at the venue, in 2016 and 2018. Overall, they have won five and lost four in 15 matches against England, although their defeat in the neutral Test against Australia in 2010 squares the ledger.
- England have won each of their last four Tests at Lord’s, dating back to West Indies’ visit in 2024. Their last loss at the ground came against Australia in the 2023 Ashes.
- Joe Root is set to play his 168th Test taking him past Stuart Broad’s career tally, and drawing him level with Ricky Ponting and Steve Waugh. Only Sachin Tendulkar with 200 matches and James Anderson with 188 matches have played more.
- Ollie Robinson needs nine more wickets to reach 100 wickets in Tests. He has taken 15 wickets at 10.46 in two appearances this summer.
Predicted/Probable Outcome of the Match
For starters, there is rain predicted mostly on all days at Lord’s, London so that could play a factor in determining the outcome of the match. So, a draw can definitely not be ruled out. Having said that, assuming we get enough play for a result, it is safe to say that looking at the conditions of both the teams, England start this match as favourites. Pakistan under Babar Azam have to play out of their skins to pull off a series-levelling win. Yes, they have a recent good record in London, but it counts for nothing in this game.
If England plays to their potential, we foresee them winning this match and sealing the series 2-0 with a game to spare. But Test cricket has its challenges and it may surprise you after all. Let’s see how this Test match unfolds over the next five days weather permitting in London.
Also Read: ENG vs PAK: “We Keep Making Stupid Mistakes”- Joe Root On Brydon Carse Incident