England v Pakistan: 5 player battles to look forward to in the second Test

#4 Jos Buttler v Shadab Khan

Shadab Khan

When he was included in the Test side, many eyebrows were raised, and considering the fact that Jos Buttler played as a specialist batsman, the skeptics were out in force, when he was dismissed for 14 in the 1st innings.

However, in England’s second innings he made a valiant 67 and proved his worth as team’s No. 7. He might not be the most technically disciplined player, but he has the ability to take the game away from the opposition fairly quickly and therein lies the danger posed by Buttler.

Being a No. 7, it is highly likely that he will run into Pakistan’s leg-spinner Shadab Khan and like Buttler, he is not too experienced in Test cricket, despite being a fixture in his team’s limited overs sides.

The Pakistani leg-spinner bowled well in the 2nd innings, picking up the wickets of Stoneman and Stokes, but Buttler generally had his measure.

That being said, the Englishman’s troubles against leg-spin is well known and it will be interesting to see how Shadab Khan goes about his business in the 2nd Test.