England v Pakistan: 5 player battles in the first Test

The English international season gets underway tomorrow when England take on Pakistan tomorrow at Lord’s in the first Test of the two-Test series. It will be a contest between two sides who are both in the process of building new sides and a large number of players will probably be playing against each other for the first time. However, as is always the case, both these teams do have an experienced core and that group of players will ultimately have the biggest impact on the game.

It is often tough for sub-continental sides to get into their grooves straightaway on tours to England and it is going to be doubly tough for Pakistan because of the relative inexperience in the side. Not many in the side have played in England before and even fewer have a lot of experience in Test cricket. It is going to be a challenge for the young side but then again, Pakistan are known for springing surprises and the English team will need to be at their best as well. The game will also witness some intriguing individual battles over the course of the Test at Lord’s and here is a look at 5 of the most important ones.

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#5 Babar Azam v Stuart Broad

The right-handed batsman is often regarded as the future of Pakistani cricket and considering Babar Azam’s technical excellence, it is not such a bad assertion at all. However, he has played only 12 Tests so far and this is his first tour to England. Experience is something that is not in his favor and hence, his battle with an old warhorse like Stuart Broad is going to be so interesting.

Azam’s 59 against Ireland in that tense run chase at Dublin shows that he is a player who has the technique and the temperament for the highest level, but Stuart Broad is a different kettle of fish altogether. The England fast bowler is equally lethal with the old ball as he is with the new one and has the ability to make most batsmen uncomfortable with the sort of bounce he generates. Batting at number 5, Azam would need to find a way to counter Broad’s aggression and it promises to be a pivotal battle in the larger context of the first Test at Lord’s.

#4 Jonny Bairstow v Shadab Khan

Shadab Khan

He has been England’s best batsman over the past 7 months or so and it is no surprise that the management has finally decided to promote Jonny Bairstow to number 5. That gives him the opportunity to make bigger contributions and at the first Test at Lord’s against Pakistan, he would definitely like to celebrate this development with a good show. A number 5 batsman has to be equally at ease against both pace and spin and the English wicketkeeper-batsman has shown that he is comfortable against both.

That sets up an intriguing battle between him and Pakistan’s young leg-spinner Shadab Khan. Although Khan has become a seasoned professional in limited overs formats of the game, he has still only played 2 Test matches and only an injury to first-choice spinner Yasir Shaw opened up a place for him in the side. That being said, his talent as a spinner is beyond doubt and it would be very interesting to see how he does against one of England’s best batsmen.

#3 Joe Root v Mohammad Abbas

Joe Root

The right-arm seam bowler may have played only 6 Test matches for Pakistan so far but on this tour, he has proven to be a revelation and there is no doubt that Mohammad Abbas is going to be a key bowler for the visitors in the 1st Test. Abbas took 9 wickets in the victory over Ireland at Dublin and will be one of the bowlers to watch out for at Lord’s. However, at Lord’s, he will come up against a much stronger batting line-up and it remains to be seen how he performs against Joe Root, who is counted among the best batsmen in the world at the moment.

The England captain might not have had a great time in Australia and New Zealand, but he was not batting poorly. He was unable to convert his starts into big scores and now that he is back in England, he would like to straighten that out. In the last home series against Pakistan two years ago, he was the top scorer in the series and slammed more than 500 runs in the series. He is going to be the wicket Pakistan would be after and it would be interesting to see how Abbas handles the pressure of bowling to one of the world’s best.

#2 Alastair Cook v Mohammad Amir

Mohammad Amir

He is the highest run-scorer in England’s cricket history and although Alastair Cook has not been in great form, he is still a key player for the hosts. After scoring an unbeaten 244 against Australia at Melbourne on a pitch that was later reported for being too flat, he did not quite make any substantial score in Test cricket. He would definitely want to put the record straight in the first Test against Pakistan and start off his summer with a flourish.

The big battle that he will have on his hands is the one against Pakistan’s leading fast bowler Mohammad Amir. The left-arm fast bowler’s pace, ability to move the new ball either way and generate seam movement is something that will be a big challenge for Cook. It is going to be a battle that could have a big impact on the eventual result of the 1st Test.

#1 Azhar Ali v James Anderson

James Anderson

Visiting teams which find success in England are almost always blessed with at least one excellent opening batsman and in Azhar Ali, Pakistan have a player who is not only an excellent player but also the most experienced batsman in the team. In his previous tour to England in 2016, Ali made one century and averaged more than 42 as Pakistan squared the four-Test series 2-2. If they are to compete at Lord’s then Azhar Ali would need to play well and more importantly, tackle the threat posed by James Anderson with the new ball.

He could only make 4 and 2 in the two innings against Ireland but seemed to have returned to some form in the practice game against Leicestershire, in which he made 73. England’s fast bowling ace James Anderson, on the other hand, is a very difficult bowler to negotiate when he is at home and he would trouble the Pakistani openers at Lord’s. However, the challenge for Ali would be to find a way to get through his initial and if he can do that, then Pakistan would be in a good position.