Ben Stokes returns as England announce playing XI for second Test against Pakistan

Regular Captain Ben Stokes will make his much-awaited return to England Test side after sustaining a hamstring injury, which ruled him out of the first Test played in Multan, earlier this week. Notably, it took nearly two months for the star all rounder to recover fully.

Stokes will be coming into the side by replacing the pacer and their current bowling spearhead, Chris Woakes. Besides, the English side has also made another notable change in the side. Pacer Gus Atkinson has been given rest while youngster Matthew Potts will take his place in the playing XI, which was announced by the England Cricket Board (ECB), recently. Fascinatingly enough, the Three Lions are gearing up for the second Test, which is slated to take place at the same venue.

Pakistan suffered a humiliating defeat even after scoring over 550 runs in their first innings. Furthermore, it was also revealed that the strip which will most likely be used to play the game will also be the same as it has been watered in plenty and later on was dried in sultry sun during the last two days of the practice sessions. Hence it is highly anticipated that the surface for the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) fixture will see spinners playing a major role, unlike the first game where the pitch played like an absolute belter.

Also Read- PAK vs ENG: Multan curator advised to prepare spin-friendly track

Stokes likely to be England's third seamer during second Test

Meanwhile, speaking of Ben Stokes, the veteran started bowling again in the training sessions of England and will likely play the role of the third seamer for the visiting side. Apart from Potts and Stokes, Brydon Carse, who also happens to be his teammate at Durham, will share the bowling workload in the second Test. Meanwhile, reflecting on the nature of the pitch, former England legend and bowling consultant, James Anderson, chimed in with the anticipations that the surface can turn out to be a major showdown for the spin bowlers.

"It could be a big week for the spinners. I don't know about his full share, but he's still looking at contributing a pretty decent amount with the ball," said Anderson on Sunday.

Two changes ✅

We've announced our team for the second Test against Pakistan in Multan 👇

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) October 14, 2024

Now talking of how things transpired for the English bowlers in the first Test played at Multan, the seamers had to undergo bowling long spells under scorching heat, which got undershadowed as the visiting side clinched a mammoth victory by an innings margin. Pacers Woakes, Carse and Atkinson bowled a whopping 112 overs during the game. While before touring Pakistan, Atkinson and the veteran featured in all six Tests at home earlier.

Also Check- WTC 2023-25 Points Table: Here's a look at latest standings after England's record win against Pakistan in Multan

Hence as part of the workload management, they have been rested. Interestingly, Carse, the other pacer was considered the workhorse for the upcoming Test given that he was serving a ban. This meant he was away from any cricket action between June and August, respectively. When it comes to the batting department, Ben Duckett was at the centre of the debate after he dislocated his thumb during the first innings of England's fielding in the first Test.

But finding a place in the playing XI confirms the fact that the injury was not of a serious kind. Besides, wicketkeeper batter Jamie Smith will go down to the number seven spot, thereby making way for Stokes to play at number six. While Jack Leach and the young Shoaib Bashir will continue to fulfill the spin duties for England. But as for Bashir, he rather had a dismal time in the first Test and with Rehan Ahmed being a specialist leg spinner, he may soon have to bowl well in the upcoming Test to avoid getting benched.