Ben Stokes Returns as England Prepare for Second Test Against Pakistan in Multan
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| England captain Ben Stokes is fit for the second Test against Pakistan after recovering from a torn hamstring / Getty |
England captain Ben Stokes has been declared fit and will return for the second Test against Pakistan, starting Tuesday in Multan, after recovering from a hamstring injury that sidelined him since August. Stokes replaces all-rounder Chris Woakes in the line-up, while seamer Matt Potts also makes a comeback, replacing Gus Atkinson in the side.
Stokes, who sustained the injury during The Hundred playing for Northern Superchargers, missed the last four Test matches, including England's dominant innings victory in the first Test in Multan. In that historic match, England crushed Pakistan by an innings and 47 runs after posting a mammoth 823/7. Stokes opted out of that Test to continue his recovery but has since undergone rigorous training to regain match fitness. He now returns to bolster England’s batting line-up at number six.
Alongside Stokes, Matt Potts returns for the first time since the Lord's Test against Sri Lanka in August, joining Brydon Carse in an all-Durham pace attack for England. Carse impressed on debut in the first Test, contributing significantly in the energy-sapping Multan heat.
Pakistan, trailing 1-0 in the series, have opted for a bold strategy heading into the second Test, reusing the same pitch from the first game. The surface in Multan, which saw colossal first-innings totals of 556 and 823/7, was notably flat, providing little assistance for the bowlers during the first three days of the match. Pakistan are banking on the worn track to provide more balance between bat and ball as they look to level the series.
With this left-field approach and the return of Ben Stokes, both teams will be eager to adapt quickly when the second Test gets underway.
England Squad for Second Test :
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith, Brydon Carse, Matt Potts, Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir