England might have taken the 1-0 lead in the three-match Test Series against Pakistan but their victory in the first Test was by no means a flawless one. Joe Root and Co have plenty to ponder before the start of the 2nd Test at the Rose Bowl, Southampton.

The Pakistan team didn’t do a lot wrong to lose the match except for some poor batting in the second innings. One can question some of the tactics used by Azhar Ali but full credit should be given to Jos Buttler and <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/shan-masood-chris-woakes-and-jos-buttler-move-up-in-test-rankings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Chris Woakes</a>’ batting display. On an uneven Day 4 pitch, they both batted superbly and rescued England from a miserable position.

The English team has already faced a setback before the start of the 2nd Test as their star all-rounder Ben Stokes will not be available for the rest of the series due to some family issues. But that is not their only problem, from the out of rhythm James Anderson to the shaky middle-order, the English think-tank has plenty to discuss.

So let’s have a look at the 3 major issues that England should be wary of ahead of the 2nd Test starting from August 13:

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-429698" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Ben-Stokes-4.jpg" alt="Ben Stokes" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-429698" class="wp-caption-text">Ben Stokes. (Photo Source: Getty Images)</figcaption>

The England batting line-up is not one of the best in the world and they have proved to be vulnerable against a good quality attack even in their home conditions. In the previous series against West Indies, their batting weaknesses were exposed and Pakistan almost tasted victory by attacking those weaknesses in the first Test.

Ben Stokes and Joe Root are the main stalwarts of their middle-order. With Stokes not available and Root looking out of touch, it may be a big issue for the English side in the 2nd Test.

Ollie Pope is the one looking to be in some touch in that middle order after Ben Stokes. Root has not got going in the year 2020 so far, with <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/shan-masood-chris-woakes-and-jos-buttler-move-up-in-test-rankings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jos Buttler </a>performing inconsistently. So, in a nutshell, the middle-order is shaky and someone needs to step-up against the high-quality Pakistan bowling line-up.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-429827" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Jos-Buttler-1.jpg" alt="Jos Buttler" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-429827" class="wp-caption-text">Jos Buttler. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

Jos Buttler played a match-winning knock of 75 runs in the opening Test match of the series but he also missed three chances behind the wicket in Pakistan’s first innings. By his admission in an interview, had he grabbed those chances, England would have won the match quite easily.

Since his comeback into the Test team in 2019, Jos Buttler has not been in a good form with the bat. His glovework in the longest format has always been questionable, especially against spinners. It was evident in the first Test when he missed two straight forward catches and a stumping in the bowling of<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/i-do-really-feel-dangerous-ahead-of-the-second-test-against-west-indies-dom-bess/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Dom Bess</a>.

So with the limited ability of wicket-keeping, the 29-year-old must contribute with the bat consistently but unfortunately, it is not happening at the moment. The 75 in the second innings of the first Test match is his highest score this year in Test cricket. He is averaging just 28.75 in red-ball cricket this year.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-384046" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/James-Anderson.jpg" alt="James Anderson" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-384046" class="wp-caption-text">James Anderson. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)</figcaption>

Jos Buttler is not the only conundrum that the English thinktank is facing at the moment. The selection of fast bowlers in the 2nd Test will be a big issue for Joe Root. &#8216;James Anderson or Sam Curran&#8217; and &#8216;Mark Wood or Jofra Archer&#8217; are some choices the England skipper must make ahead of the Rose Bowl encounter.

Anderson is just 10 wickets away from entering into the 600 clubs but the fast bowler is showing signs of ageing. He looked frustrated and angry during the first Test as he was unable to make inroads into the Pakistan batting line-up. He picked up just one wicket in the match.

Along with Anderson, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/quickly-made-everything-private-jofra-archer-shuts-down-a-twitter-user-ben-stokes-reacts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jofra Archer</a> also had a subdued Test at Old Trafford. His speed was down and his body language was certainly not encouraging when Pakistan batsmen were batting well. So the English camp has to take a hard decision of whether to go with the same pace attack or try the variety of Mark Wood and Sam Curran in the 2nd Test.

Written by ~ Vaskar Gautam

England might have taken the 1-0 lead in the three-match Test Series against Pakistan but their victory in the first Test was by no means a flawless one. Joe Root and Co have plenty to ponder before the start of the 2nd Test at the Rose Bowl, Southampton.
The Pakistan team didn’t do a lot wrong to lose the match except for some poor batting in the second innings. One can question some of the tactics used by Azhar Ali but full credit should be given to Jos Buttler and <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/shan-masood-chris-woakes-and-jos-buttler-move-up-in-test-rankings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Chris Woakes</a>’ batting display. On an uneven Day 4 pitch, they both batted superbly and rescued England from a miserable position.
The English team has already faced a setback before the start of the 2nd Test as their star all-rounder Ben Stokes will not be available for the rest of the series due to some family issues. But that is not their only problem, from the out of rhythm James Anderson to the shaky middle-order, the English think-tank has plenty to discuss.
So let’s have a look at the 3 major issues that England should be wary of ahead of the 2nd Test starting from August 13:
<h3>3. Unsettled middle-order</h3>
<figure id="attachment_429698" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-429698" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-429698" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Ben-Stokes-4.jpg" alt="Ben Stokes" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-429698" class="wp-caption-text">Ben Stokes. (Photo Source: Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
The England batting line-up is not one of the best in the world and they have proved to be vulnerable against a good quality attack even in their home conditions. In the previous series against West Indies, their batting weaknesses were exposed and Pakistan almost tasted victory by attacking those weaknesses in the first Test.
Ben Stokes and Joe Root are the main stalwarts of their middle-order. With Stokes not available and Root looking out of touch, it may be a big issue for the English side in the 2nd Test.
Ollie Pope is the one looking to be in some touch in that middle order after Ben Stokes. Root has not got going in the year 2020 so far, with <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/shan-masood-chris-woakes-and-jos-buttler-move-up-in-test-rankings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jos Buttler </a>performing inconsistently. So, in a nutshell, the middle-order is shaky and someone needs to step-up against the high-quality Pakistan bowling line-up.

<h3>2. The Jos Buttler conundrum</h3>
<figure id="attachment_429827" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-429827" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-429827" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Jos-Buttler-1.jpg" alt="Jos Buttler" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-429827" class="wp-caption-text">Jos Buttler. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
Jos Buttler played a match-winning knock of 75 runs in the opening Test match of the series but he also missed three chances behind the wicket in Pakistan’s first innings. By his admission in an interview, had he grabbed those chances, England would have won the match quite easily.
Since his comeback into the Test team in 2019, Jos Buttler has not been in a good form with the bat. His glovework in the longest format has always been questionable, especially against spinners. It was evident in the first Test when he missed two straight forward catches and a stumping in the bowling of<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/i-do-really-feel-dangerous-ahead-of-the-second-test-against-west-indies-dom-bess/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Dom Bess</a>.
So with the limited ability of wicket-keeping, the 29-year-old must contribute with the bat consistently but unfortunately, it is not happening at the moment. The 75 in the second innings of the first Test match is his highest score this year in Test cricket. He is averaging just 28.75 in red-ball cricket this year.

<h3>3. The fast bowling dilemma</h3>
<figure id="attachment_384046" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-384046" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-384046" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/James-Anderson.jpg" alt="James Anderson" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-384046" class="wp-caption-text">James Anderson. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
Jos Buttler is not the only conundrum that the English thinktank is facing at the moment. The selection of fast bowlers in the 2nd Test will be a big issue for Joe Root. ‘James Anderson or Sam Curran’ and ‘Mark Wood or Jofra Archer’ are some choices the England skipper must make ahead of the Rose Bowl encounter.
Anderson is just 10 wickets away from entering into the 600 clubs but the fast bowler is showing signs of ageing. He looked frustrated and angry during the first Test as he was unable to make inroads into the Pakistan batting line-up. He picked up just one wicket in the match.
Along with Anderson, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/quickly-made-everything-private-jofra-archer-shuts-down-a-twitter-user-ben-stokes-reacts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jofra Archer</a> also had a subdued Test at Old Trafford. His speed was down and his body language was certainly not encouraging when Pakistan batsmen were batting well. So the English camp has to take a hard decision of whether to go with the same pace attack or try the variety of Mark Wood and Sam Curran in the 2nd Test.
Written by ~ Vaskar Gautam

England might have taken the 1-0 lead in the three-match Test Series against Pakistan but their victory in the first Test was by no means a flawless one. Joe Root and Co have plenty to ponder before the start of the 2nd Test at the Rose Bowl, Southampton.
The Pakistan team didn’t do a lot wrong to lose the match except for some poor batting in the second innings. One can question some of the tactics used by Azhar Ali but full credit should be given to Jos Buttler and <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/shan-masood-chris-woakes-and-jos-buttler-move-up-in-test-rankings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Chris Woakes</a>’ batting display. On an uneven Day 4 pitch, they both batted superbly and rescued England from a miserable position.
The English team has already faced a setback before the start of the 2nd Test as their star all-rounder Ben Stokes will not be available for the rest of the series due to some family issues. But that is not their only problem, from the out of rhythm James Anderson to the shaky middle-order, the English think-tank has plenty to discuss.
So let’s have a look at the 3 major issues that England should be wary of ahead of the 2nd Test starting from August 13:
<h3>3. Unsettled middle-order</h3>
<figure id="attachment_429698" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-429698" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-429698" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Ben-Stokes-4.jpg" alt="Ben Stokes" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-429698" class="wp-caption-text">Ben Stokes. (Photo Source: Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
The England batting line-up is not one of the best in the world and they have proved to be vulnerable against a good quality attack even in their home conditions. In the previous series against West Indies, their batting weaknesses were exposed and Pakistan almost tasted victory by attacking those weaknesses in the first Test.
Ben Stokes and Joe Root are the main stalwarts of their middle-order. With Stokes not available and Root looking out of touch, it may be a big issue for the English side in the 2nd Test.
Ollie Pope is the one looking to be in some touch in that middle order after Ben Stokes. Root has not got going in the year 2020 so far, with <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/shan-masood-chris-woakes-and-jos-buttler-move-up-in-test-rankings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jos Buttler </a>performing inconsistently. So, in a nutshell, the middle-order is shaky and someone needs to step-up against the high-quality Pakistan bowling line-up.

<h3>2. The Jos Buttler conundrum</h3>
<figure id="attachment_429827" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-429827" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-429827" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Jos-Buttler-1.jpg" alt="Jos Buttler" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-429827" class="wp-caption-text">Jos Buttler. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
Jos Buttler played a match-winning knock of 75 runs in the opening Test match of the series but he also missed three chances behind the wicket in Pakistan’s first innings. By his admission in an interview, had he grabbed those chances, England would have won the match quite easily.
Since his comeback into the Test team in 2019, Jos Buttler has not been in a good form with the bat. His glovework in the longest format has always been questionable, especially against spinners. It was evident in the first Test when he missed two straight forward catches and a stumping in the bowling of<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/i-do-really-feel-dangerous-ahead-of-the-second-test-against-west-indies-dom-bess/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Dom Bess</a>.
So with the limited ability of wicket-keeping, the 29-year-old must contribute with the bat consistently but unfortunately, it is not happening at the moment. The 75 in the second innings of the first Test match is his highest score this year in Test cricket. He is averaging just 28.75 in red-ball cricket this year.

<h3>3. The fast bowling dilemma</h3>
<figure id="attachment_384046" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-384046" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-384046" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/James-Anderson.jpg" alt="James Anderson" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-384046" class="wp-caption-text">James Anderson. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
Jos Buttler is not the only conundrum that the English thinktank is facing at the moment. The selection of fast bowlers in the 2nd Test will be a big issue for Joe Root. &#8216;James Anderson or Sam Curran&#8217; and &#8216;Mark Wood or Jofra Archer&#8217; are some choices the England skipper must make ahead of the Rose Bowl encounter.
Anderson is just 10 wickets away from entering into the 600 clubs but the fast bowler is showing signs of ageing. He looked frustrated and angry during the first Test as he was unable to make inroads into the Pakistan batting line-up. He picked up just one wicket in the match.
Along with Anderson, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/quickly-made-everything-private-jofra-archer-shuts-down-a-twitter-user-ben-stokes-reacts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jofra Archer</a> also had a subdued Test at Old Trafford. His speed was down and his body language was certainly not encouraging when Pakistan batsmen were batting well. So the English camp has to take a hard decision of whether to go with the same pace attack or try the variety of Mark Wood and Sam Curran in the 2nd Test.
Written by ~ Vaskar Gautam

The English team has already faced a setback before the start of the 2nd Test as their star all-rounder Ben Stokes will not be available for the rest of the series.

3 Issues England should be wary of before the second Test against Pakistan

England has already faced a setback before the start of the 2nd Test as their star all-rounder Ben Stokes will not be available for the rest of the series.