The Second Jazz Cup Test match between Pakistan and England will begin tomorrow at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. England after shockingly losing the First Test at Dubai by 10 wickets are in a must win situation in this Second Test to level the 3-match series. The pitch for the Second Test at Abhu Dhabi has been mainly good for batting and taking 20 wickets for any side could be really tough.
England will have to make changes to their bowling line-up by bringing in left arm spinner Monty Panesar perhaps at the expense of Chris Tremlett. Panesar and Graeme Swann could form a nice combination to keep the pressure on the Pakistani batsmen on what are basically slow pitches in the UAE. Tremlett looks to be ruled out with a sore back but England are likely to bring in tall fast bowler Steven Finn. If that is the case, then Panesar could sit out which will only be a mistake.
Pakistan on the other hand will have to guard against complacency to ensure that England doesn’t bounce back in the series. They should go in with an unchanged side for tomorrow Second Test at Abu Dhabi. Pakistan’s Captain Misbah-ul-haq will depend on Saeed Ajmal to repeat his magic all over again in the Second Test. Not sure if the English boys have figured out his doosra and teesra yet in the last few days since the upset defeat at Dubai!
Pakistan’s likely XI : Mohammad Hafeez, Taufeeq Umar, Azhar Ali, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq (Captain), Asad Shafiq, Adnan Akmal (Wicket Keeper), Abdur Rehman, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal and Aizaz Cheema
England’s likely XI : Andrew Strauss (Captain), Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Eoin Morgan, Matt Prior (Wicket Keeper), Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson and Monty Panesar/Steven Finn
