England vs Pakistan, 2020: 2nd Test – Statistical Preview

The three-match Test series between England and Pakistan kicked off in a dramatic way with the visitors losing despite holding the upper hand for the majority of the game. Despite the victory in the first match, England will be the team under pressure with Ben Stokes opting out of the remaining two Tests. James Anderson’s lean patch seems to add up problems to England’s think-tank who are already rotating pace-bowling options this summer. Pakistan, on the other hand, would be hoping for their skipper to come up with better returns with the bat.

All the key stats and numbers ahead of the crucial 2nd Test match in Southampton:

0-7 – Pakistan now have lost each of their last seven Test matches they played outside Pakistan. Their last win outside Pakistan came in the 2nd Test of the 2018 UAE series against New Zealand. They lost the following Test of the same series and ended up losing all the Test matches played in South Africa (three in 2018-19) and Australia (two in 2019) prior to the ongoing series. Pakistan also lost all the seven Test matches outside Asia since their victory at the Lord’s against England back in 2018.

1/6 – England have won the first match of a Test series for the first time in the last six multi-match Test series they have played. They lost the first game of each of their previous five Test series of two or more matches. The 2018 tour of Sri Lanka was the last time England took a 1-0 lead in a multi-match Test series.

8 – England won all the eight Test matches they played at home with Sam Curran in the playing XI. Only Andrew Strauss, Geraint Jones and Tim Bresnan were part of the winning England team in each of their first nine home Test matches. Curran is expected to play in Southampton where he could join the elite list if England win the match.

11.77 – Azhar Ali has a Test batting average of 11.77 outside Asia since the beginning of 2018. In this period, the current Pakistan skipper scored mere 212 runs in 18 innings. He played nine Tests in this span with only one fifty – against England in 2018 Lord’s Test which was also the last time Pakistan won a Test outside Asia.

Azhar Ali’s recent Test numbers including home matches doesn’t look any better. He scored only 327 runs in nine Tests since the start of the 2018-19 Test series in South Africa at an average of 20.43 with help of a fifty.

27.95 – Azhar Ali’s Test batting average of 27.95 in England is the 2nd lowest for any Pakistan player who has scored over 500 runs. As many as 12 Pakistan players aggregated 500+ Test runs in England but Azhar and Hanif Mohammad (26.63) are the only ones with an average under 30. Azhar Ali scored 671 runs across 13 Tests he played in England with the help of a hundred and two fifties.

972 – Runs Joe Root has amassed in Test cricket against Pakistan. He needs 28 more runs to become only the 3rd England player to complete 1000 Test runs against Pakistan. Only Sir Alastair Cook (1719) and David Gower (1185) have scored 1000+ Test runs for England against Pakistan.

1923 – Babar Azam needs 77 more runs to complete 2000 runs in Test cricket. Babar aggregated 100+ runs in five consecutive Test matches before the Manchester Test match.

5937 – Runs aggregated by Azhar Ali during his 79-match Test career thus far. The Pakistan Test skipper needs 63 more runs to become the only the 5th player to complete 6000 Test runs for Pakistan.