1st Test: England win toss, opt to bat against Pakistan

England captain Joe Root won the toss and chose to bat in the first test against Pakistan in the overcast conditions at the Lord's in London on Thursday.

Speaking after the toss, Root said, "It probably looks on the surface like bowling conditions but it`s very dry underneath, and it looks like it`s already starting to crack and it may play into our favour."

In the playing XI, England awarded a test debut to 20-year-old off-spinner Dom Bess, who was preferred over Chris Woakes.

Pakistan, on the other hand, opted for Hasan Ali as their fourth seamer.

Teams

England - Alastair Cook, Mark Stoneman, Joe Root (captain), Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper), Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Mark Wood, Dom Bess, Stuart Broad, James Anderson

Pakistan - Azhar Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Haris Sohail, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Sarfraz Ahmed (captain and wicketkeeper), Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Amir, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Abbas