We preview the first Test between England and Pakistan set to take place at Lord's between 31 May and 4 June.
England have not won a Test since September 2017, when they outdid the West Indies. Eight months later, they've lost series to New Zealand and Australia and must overcome opposition they lost to the last time they met in August 2016.
Pakistan weren't entirely convincing in their first ever Test against Ireland earlier this month, but gathered enough to suggest they'll stand up against opposition two positions superior in the ICC rankings.
England vs Pakistan | 31 May - 4 June | Lord's, London
To Win Match
England 9/20
Draw 4/1
Pakistan 4/1
England
James Vince has fallen from grace, Jack Leach is out injured and Moeen Ali remains out of favour, as a rather new-look England outfit head into a two-Test series in London and Leeds. Jos Buttler has been recalled and the uncapped Dom Bess will replace the sidelined Leach. The inclusion of Buttler speaks volumes of the ECB's willingness to acknowledge the benefits of the IPL.
Buttler enjoyed a fine stretch of form for the Rajasthan Royals - and will be afforded similar scope to aggressively express himself in a substantially longer format. He'll slot in down the order, with Joe Root moving up to three and Jonny Bairstow to four. Buttler, too, will take over the wicketkeeping duties from Bairstow. The squad is 12-strong, leaving Mark Wood and Chris Woakes to have it out for the final berth in the XI.
Wood will probably take it. He offers less with the bat, but significantly more in terms of pace with the ball. With Stuart Broad and James Anderson ageing and slowing, Wood can bring the speed required in conditions expected to yield plenty of bounce and carry. A bit of rain might hamper the preparation of the deck, but relatively fine weather predicted throughout the five days should bake and harden the track.
The 20-year-old Bess could face a veritable baptism of fire against a visiting order reared on good off-spin. Root will want to protect the debutant somewhat, but also allow him a genuine test amid certain circumstances and scenarios. Without a genuine back-up spin option, the seamers are also going to have to step up in support - good and proper.
Pakistan
With warm-up fixtures against Kent, Northamptonshire, Leicestershire - and that one-off Test against Ireland - under the belt, Pakistan must now successfully negotiate the biggest task of the tour. Their most recent match against Leicestershire evidently lacked planning, which doesn't really bode well for the series opener.
Asad Shafiq and Imam-ul-Haq are in decent form - and need to spearhead the quest for big runs and lengthy stays. Shadab Khan and Mohammad Abbas will effectively be tasked with spearheading the attack, as the overall management of Mohammad Amir's workload amid a chronic knee injury becomes increasingly obvious.
Azhar Ali, presumably in conjunction with captain Sarfraz Ahmed, has publicly stated the Pakistan batsmen will look to attack, often. This needs balance, though, and can backfire if not regulated and moderated. There is a collective exuberance and slew of talent in the batting order, no doubt, but it requires guidance against arguably the best seam attack in potentially adverse batting conditions.
Recent history at Lord's suggests Pakistan will manage to force a draw or lose by a hefty margin. That's how it has played out for the last six Tests, but neither team will soon forget the tourists' 75-run triumph here in 2016. Misbah-ul-Haq, Younis Khan and Yasir Shah were all key to that victory. All three, though, are no longer with the team this time around.
Verdict: Pakistan
The teams' last 15 meetings have brought just one draw. England have won 10 times and Pakistan four, two of those in the United Kingdom. A third, indeed, beckons.
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