England National Cricket Team mentor James Anderson gave his verdict on the same pitch that was reportedly used for the second Test against Pakistan. National Cricket Team in Multan. He said it will benefit them as the spinners will play a big role for them.
England National Cricket Team and Pakistan National Cricket Team will face each other in the second game of the three-match series. The match between the teams will be played from Tuesday (October 15) at the Multan Cricket Stadium in Multan, where the first match was played.
There are several reports claiming that Pakistan have decided to play on a used surface for the second Test. The pitch is expected to have a lot of cracks and the spinners of both the teams are expected to play a big role in the second game which could be the series decider.
Having won the first Test of the series by a huge innings and 47 runs, England would hope to carry on the same confidence in the second game. They outplayed the opposition in the opening game with a sensational effort with bat and ball.
Ben Stokes likes to play the second Test
England also hope that Ben Stokes will return to the team. The all-rounder missed the first game of the Hundred 2024 as he was ineligible after suffering a hamstring injury while playing for Northern Superchargers in the league.
England fast bowling mentor James Anderson is confident that Ben Stokes will return to the squad for the second Test. He said that he worked hard on his comprehensive preparation. James Anderson, the team’s former fast bowler, told the BBC:
“He looks great. He’s worked hard on his fitness and looks as strong as I’ve ever seen him… Ben, we know there’s no stopping him once he gets in the game. He’s just that kind of player. He is ready to go: we just have to wait and see what he can do in the game.”
We don’t know what we’re going to get – James Anderson on the Multan pitch
James Anderson then spoke about Ben Stokes’ workload and said that if Pakistan opts for the pitch used, it can work in their favor as the spinners will play a big role in the game then. James Anderson added:
“When we talk about Ben’s workload and his bowling, it could play into our hands with the spinners potentially playing a bigger role … We don’t know what we’re going to get.” James Anderson said.
England dominated the first Test at the Multan Cricket Stadium in Multan
England dominated the first Test at the Multan Cricket Stadium in Multan. They were asked to field first and conceded 556 runs. But after that they put in a huge effort with the bat and took a lead of over 200 runs as they posted over 820 runs.
Harry Brooke (317) spammed three centuries while Joe Root (262) scored two tons. After that, they were magnificent with the ball as they bundled out Pakistan for 220 runs to win the game by a huge margin and take a 1-0 lead in the series.
