England are not likely to make changes as the team performed well collectively in the first Test © Getty Images
The second Test between England and Pakistan is scheduled to begin on Thursday in Dubai, where the visitors will eye a victory after falling just 25 runs short in the opening match. The lifeless Test turned into an exciting contest on Day Five when Pakistan lost wickets in quick succession in the final session, leaving England to chase down a total of 99 runs. However, the English side faced a huge disappointment when play for stopped due to bad light and they had to settle with a pinching draw. Undoubtedly the face-off in Dubai will be competitive with both the sides will want to end as a superior one. England will most likely go unchanged in the second game. SCORECARD: Pakistan vs England 2015, 2nd Test at Dubai
English skipper Alastair Cook was very happy with the way his boys had performed. He hopes the side continue to show the same resilience for the remainder of the Test series. He especially praised debutant Adil Rashid, whose five-wicket haul in the final session brought England in a position where they could play for a win. The leg-spinner did not have a memorable start to the match when he finished the first innings conceding 163 runs in his 34 wicketless overs. Rashid nevertheless bounced back in the second innings with the big wickets with Younis Khan becoming his first Test wicket. ALSO READ: Alastair Cook’s 263: Analysis and records
The Dubai track will, in all probability, be similar to the one in Abu Dhabi track. Spin will play a major role. The visitors will want Rashid to carry the momentum from the first Test along with the experience of Moeen Ali. Not to forget, Alastair Cook’s side will have torrid memories of their 2011-12 UAE tour against the same side. Pakistan has thrashed England by 10 wickets at Dubai on that occasion despite the presence of Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar. ALSO READ: Pakistan vs England 2nd Test at Dubai: Yasir Shah vs Alastair Cook and other key battles
Top-order: England have a solid top-order with skipper Cook, who scored a gargantuan 263 from 528 balls, batting for 836 minutes at the top. They have recently confirmed that Moeen would be Cook’s partner; Moeen fared quite decently in Abu Dhabi, scoring a 131-ball 35 in the first innings, playing second fiddle to Cook. Ian Bell, fighting for a place in the playing XI following a poor run, has finally made justice to the No. 3 spot for this series. He managed 63 from 199 balls in the first innings and remained not out in the final innings. England should stick to their top three. ALSO READ: Shoaib Malik’s 245: Resurrection of a talented batsman?
Middle-order: England boast of one of the finest middle-order batsmen of the generation. Joe Root continued to impress with repeated good performances in whites, this time with a 143-ball 85 in the first innings and a 29-ball 33 not out in the second. Had play not stopped due to bad light, it is not wrong in assuming that Root would have finished the job for England. The visitors may not fiddle their middle order, with Root at No. 4; he will be followed by Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes and wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler.
Bowlers: James Anderson and Stuart Broad’s names go automatically in the pacers’ list with Mark Wood being the third fast bowler. All three have bowled well despite the flat track. Stokes will be the fourth. Wood bagged just one wicket in the previous game and to ensure a permanent place in the side, but he looked the best of the trio when the track was the flattest. The duo of Moeen and Rashid will play a huge role on the Dubai tracks where leg and off-spin will strengthen the sides.
England likely XI for 1st Test: Alastair Cook (c), Moeen Ali, Ian Bell, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (wk), Adil Rashid, Stuart Broad and James Anderson.
(Sakshi Gupta, a reporter with CricketCountry, is a sports fanatic whose mantra in life is “do only what you enjoy.” Her Twitter handle is @sakshi2929)