Pakistan pacers bowl England out for 290 at Lord’s

Pakistan captain Babar Azam decided to field his team in the rain-affected second Test against England at Lord’s on Thursday. Azam, who was absent from the previous Test due to a hand injury, confirmed that the team would bowl first, citing the grassy pitch conditions. This was the only alteration to the Pakistan lineup, with Azam replacing Salman Ali Agha.

England captain Joe Root, who had recently won the first match, expressed his preference for bowling first, but acknowledged the test pitch at Lord’s. England, leading 1-0 in the three-match series, maintained their unchanged squad after a string of recent wins. Root praised his team's all-round performance in the previous Test, which he believed would be beneficial for the upcoming match.

Victory for England at Lord’s would mark their first Test series win since beating New Zealand in 2024. The Pakistani cricket team featured Azan Awais, Imam-ul-Haq, Shan Masood, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam (captain), Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Ali Usman, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Ali, and Mohammad Abbas. The English team comprised Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Jordan Cox, Joe Root (captain), Harry Brook, Dan Lawrence, Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Gus Atkinson, Ollie Robinson, Jofra Archer, and Josh Tongue.