ENG vs PAK, 2nd Test: 5 players to watch out for

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After losing back-to-back series to Australia and New Zealand away from home, the England cricket team were back to home conditions and were favourites against Pakistan.

Cricketing experts, too, had written the visiting team off before the match as inexperienced. But Pakistan had some other plans as they hammered the English side by nine wickets in the opening match of the series.

It was the first time in the last 23 years when England started their home Test summer in defeat.

Both teams will be meeting again for the series decider starting from this Friday at Headingley, Leeds.

England will be desperate to register a win this time to avoid a third consecutive series defeat. On the other hand, Pakistan will be eying on a historic series win. They have won only three-test series in England - the last one being in 1996.

And with England looking nowhere near to their best, this could be the perfect opportunity to win their fourth one.

This doesn't mean Pakistan should take anything for granted. This English team is known for bouncing back after a home defeat.

They were in a similar situation against West Indies last summer after losing at Headingley but then decimated the same opposition at Lord's.

Whatever may be the result of this match, it is surely going to be a hell of a contest. Here, we will take a look at those five players who are likely to affect the outcome of the match

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#1 Alastair Cook

Alastair Cook is the most experienced player in the England cricket Team having appeared in 155 tests.

Regarded as one of the best test openers ever played in world cricket, Cook has scored 12099 runs including 32 centuries.

He is at no. 6 in the list of highest run-getters in test cricket. There is a huge expectation from him at the top order.

Cook has the job of providing his team a solid start. In the last test match, he contributed a valuable 70 in the first inning but failed to score in the second inning.

In this crucial match, Cook needs to be at his best if England want to level the series.

# 2 Joe Root

Joe Root will have to lead the team from the front

Joe Root is one of the finest test players of the present era. Root has scored 5915 runs in 68 tests with an average of 51.89 including 13 centuries and 40 half-centuries.

He can be a nightmare to the opposition bowlers when he is on his own. He was not impressive in the last match as he played a careless shot that saw him get dismissed for four in the first inning.

Root did score 68 in the second inning but that came very late. Being the captain of the English side, he has to perform for his team which is already 0-1 down in the series.

# 3 James Anderson

Egland will expect a top-notch performance from James Anderson

James Anderson is one of the best swing bowlers in the world at the present moment. When he has his rhythm and conditions suit his style, he is almost unplayable.

He has scalped 535 wickets in 137 test matches with an impressive strike rate of 56.5. He has the responsibility of providing his team early breakthroughs. However, he failed to do so at Lord’s.

The England cricket team will be expecting a top-notch performance from their pace spearhead in this crucial contest.

# 4 Azhar Ali

Azhar Ali would look to replicate his form from the first test

Azhar Ali is considered to have a solid technique and much-needed temperament which makes him one of the finest test batsmen in Pakistani cricket at the present moment.

Having compiled more than 5000 runs in tests, he is the highest run-getter in the current Pakistani squad. He also has a triple-century against his name, a feat many great batsmen are devoid of.

Ali scored an excellent fifty in the first inning of the last match and would like to replicate the same in this one too.

# 5 Mohammad Abbas

Mohammad Abbas decimated the England batting line-up in the first test

Mohammad Abbas is the newest member of Pakistan's never-ending array of pace-bowlers. Just one year old in international cricket, he has earned quite a recognition.

He has 40 wickets against his name in just seven matches. His bowling average of 16.62 and strike rate of 40.85 can be termed as phenomenal.

Not to forget, he was the one who decimated the English batsmen in the first match. He scalped eight wickets at the expense of 64 runs. He was awarded MoM for his brilliant performance.

Pakistani fans would be expecting a repetition of the 'Lord's show' from him at Headingley too.

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Which of these players would play a major role in the second test? Have your say in the comments section below!