England will look to make it 2-0: England v Pakistan, 2nd Test, preview
The Match
England take on Pakistan in the second Test match of the four-game series at Birmingham. England lead the series 1-0 after the thumping win that the side had got over the Pakistani side at Trent Bridge, and will look to ensure that they continue their hold over http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 in this game as well.
Pakistan had bowled rather well in the first Test match, but they batted like a club team and will need to not only pull up their socks, but also wear their shoes and kick hard if they want to make the series count.
The Pitch:
The track at Birmingham is one of the more sporting ones in the country and despite the swing and seam, it should assist the batsmen as the game progresses. Pakistan had been shorn of any spine in the first Test, but they will like the conditions much better on this ground.
Pakistan:
The Pakistani batting has continued to flounder throughout this tour of the U.K. Earlier, it was the two Tests against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 where the batting had struggled and now, the first game against England. The news was that the selectors have opted for the experience of Mohammad Yousuf, but he may not get to the UK before the start of the second game.
This will mean that the Pakistani side may not make too many changes to their batting line-up, except to get http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Danish-Kaneria-c1314 has been given the axe, and Saeed Ajmal should make it to the playing 11.
Players to watch out for:
One gets the sense that Umar Akmal may be promoted up the order, as will Shoaib Malik. The pair will need to bat out of their skins to be able to retain their spots once Yousuf comes back into the side.
England:
England were excellent in the first Test. The batting and the bowling department clicked really well together, and that meant that the opposition was blown apart. Even the English side would have been surprised by the manner in which Pakistan capitulated but one needs to give full credit for the way James Anderson bowled.
Anderson apart, Steve Finn was quite a handful on the track, and will enjoy Birmingham given the amount of bounce it has for the bowlers.
Eoin Morgan seemed to have all but sealed his berth for the Ashes with that century in the previous game, while the pressure is now on Alastair Cook to perform to the best of his ability. The batting will be the English trump card in the face of an opposition which has one of the best bowling attacks in the world.
Players to watch out for:
Kevin Pietersen’s lack of runs has been a topic of discussion in the media and though he has been stoutly defended by his coach and captain, the time is probably right for him to start scoring the runs. Look for Morgan to continue to try and perform strong to put to rest any questions of his having been chosen over Ravi Bopara.
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