AFP, Southampton :
England may have won the series opener against Pakistan but the absence of Ben Stokes leaves them with arguably the bigger selection headache going into today’s second Test at Southampton.
Pakistan were much the better side for much of last week’s first Test at Old Trafford and, despite a second-innings collapse, were still favourites to win when they reduced England to 117-5 in pursuit of a target of 277.
But a sixth-wicket partnership of 139 between Chris Woakes (84 not out) and Jos Buttler (75) turned the tide as England went 1-0 up in a three-match series on Saturday.
Since England won with more than a day to spare in Manchester, it has been announced that star all-rounder Stokes will miss the rest of the series as a result of travelling to New Zealand to be with his ill father.
A quad injury meant that the end of England’s 2-1 series win over the West Indies last month – a campaign that marked international cricket’s return from the coronavirus lockdown – and the first Test against Pakistan saw vice-captain Stokes effectively deployed as a specialist batsman by skipper Joe Root.
Stokes, however, still took two important wickets on the third evening against Pakistan.
England may have won the series opener against Pakistan but the absence of Ben Stokes leaves them with arguably the bigger selection headache going into today’s second Test at Southampton.
Pakistan were much the better side for much of last week’s first Test at Old Trafford and, despite a second-innings collapse, were still favourites to win when they reduced England to 117-5 in pursuit of a target of 277.
But a sixth-wicket partnership of 139 between Chris Woakes (84 not out) and Jos Buttler (75) turned the tide as England went 1-0 up in a three-match series on Saturday.
Since England won with more than a day to spare in Manchester, it has been announced that star all-rounder Stokes will miss the rest of the series as a result of travelling to New Zealand to be with his ill father.
A quad injury meant that the end of England’s 2-1 series win over the West Indies last month – a campaign that marked international cricket’s return from the coronavirus lockdown – and the first Test against Pakistan saw vice-captain Stokes effectively deployed as a specialist batsman by skipper Joe Root.
Stokes, however, still took two important wickets on the third evening against Pakistan.
