Hello and welcome to TimesofIndia.com’s live coverage of the second Test of the 3-match series between England and Pakistan at The Rose Bowl in Southampton.
After a thrilling three-wicket win in the lung opener in Manchester, an upbeat England will now look to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.
Unfortunately, talisman all-rounder Ben Stokes will be a major absentee in the second Test for England as he has been ruled out of the remainder of the series due to personal reasons. Fast bowler Ollie Robinson has been named in the 14-man squad in place of Stokes.
Pakistan, who gifted England the 1st Test will now look to put that behind and make a strong comeback to level the series.
Pakistan’s batting has been in the limelight for all the wrong reasons and the likes of Babar Azam and skipper Azhar himself would look to amend the mistakes made in the first Test and set a precedence for the team.
Pakistan coach Misbah-ul-Haq has insisted his side could recover from an agonising loss as they try to avoid a defeat that will condemn them to a first series defeat by England in a decade.
England pacer James Anderson, who is just 10 away from becoming the first paceman to take 600 wickets in Tests, will look to accomplish the pending feat in this Test itself.