 The second ODI between England and Pakistan will be played on Sunday at
Headingley in Leeds. The match will start at 10.15 am local time, which means
that it will be another day game, and will test how the Pakistani batsmen bat
against the English seam bowlers.
The disadvantage for the Pakistani batsmen all throughout the summer has been
the cloudy conditions which have made the ball talk rather alarmingly. This
has also meant that the batting has struggled against the English seamers and
there have been four totals of less than 100 - something that should worry the
Pakistani captain, Shahid Afridi no ends. With another game being played
in the morning, it does make sense for the Pakistani side to elect to field
first if they win the toss. At least that would ensure that the Pakistani batsmen
will not have to bat before the pitch dries out.
However, the question that remains is what is the kind of battin
Click for Live Score Card of England Vs Pakistang line-up that Pakistan need to go into the game with. After all, if one is
looking to bat through the innings in a fifty overs encounter, one needs to
have batsmen who can see through some of the overs initially. That is the one
reason why one feels that Azhar Ali should get a chance in the playing
eleven and at the top of the innings.
There is no sense for the side to get in the hard hitters of the ball in the
beginning of the innings and then go into the last ten overs with no wickets
in hand. In fact, if Azhar Ali could open the innings with someone like an Abdul
Razzaq, who had opened the innings in the 1999 World Cup, then it could
made a lot of sense for the Pakistani side.
England will look to try and get things on track, and they will look to not
only swing the ball if they get the chance, but also send down some bouncers.
This strategy had worked in the second T20I that the two sides had played, but
the question is whether this can actually work if the pitch is as flat as the
one at Leeds.
The batting will need the buffer of that extra batsman in Jonathon Trott,
especially now that Kevin Pietersen is no longer a part of the side. The home
side may be favourites in this game, but will understand that the side can hardly
afford to relax till the series is won.
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