Babar Azam set to return from injury for second Test against England at Lord’s
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Babar Azam set to return from injury for second Test against England at Lord’s")
Babar Azam set to return from injury for second Test against England at Lord’s Photograph: (AFP)
Babar Azam trained in the nets ahead of the 2nd Test at Lord's, with bowling coach Umar Gul confirming the Pakistan skipper is on track to return against England.
Pakistan Test captain Babar Azam has shown positive signs in his recovery from the finger injury that kept him out of the series opener at Headingley. Two days before the second Test match begins on Thursday at Lord’s, Babar trained in the nets and looked good, Pakistan’s bowling coach Umar Gul said. The former speedster added that Babar batted comfortably during the training sessions, boosting his chances of returning to the side at the Mecca of cricket.
Ahead of the UK tour, Pakistan’s first since 2020, Babar suffered a blow to his finger during an away Test against the West Indies, and then during Pakistan’s scheduled warm-up fixture (on the same finger), which ruled him out. Salman Ali Agha captained in his absence, and Pakistan lost the first Test inside three days by an innings and 103 runs.
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"Babar batted in the nets, faced fast bowlers, spinners and throwdowns," Gul said. "We're hopeful he will be available for the game, and today he was looking good; he batted well in the nets. He had a full batting session."
Meanwhile, Babar’s return will boost Pakistan’s batting line-up, which created an unwanted record of getting dismissed twice inside 86 overs in total – Pakistan’s fifth-fewest in two completed innings. Against the West Indies in the previous Test series, Babar top-scored with the bat, scoring 193 runs.
Babar’s return will also see changes in the top order, as Azan Awais will likely make way for him, while either Abdullah Shafique or Shan Masood will move up the order. Not only will Babar assume captaincy, but he will also bat at his preferred position at number four. His numbers in England, however, are impressive as he averages over 65 in six innings, including three fifties.
Against England overall in Tests, Babar averages 53.83 in 14 Tests.
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Gul on Improving Performances
Pakistan was in shambles in the first Test, and despite Babar’s potential return, the side must learn from the mistakes and play better cricket to seek any chance of making a comeback in this Test series.
"We'll have to learn from the mistakes we made in the previous game. If you want to win a Test match, you have to perform in all departments. One can't be carrying the other. But in these conditions, the responsibility lies more with the bowlers. Until you take 20 wickets, you can't win a Test match.
"The players trained today with full intensity. I'm pretty sure the boys will bounce back properly here,” Gul added.
