Match 2 Preview:
Confident England arrive at Faisalabad
After thrashing Pakistan by 276 runs in the first test at Multan, Michael Vaughan leads his in-form England side to Faisalabad, where the two teams lock horns again for the second test. For England, a win here will seal the series, which will be their second consecutive series win in Pakistan, after Nasser Hussain?s team won the previous series 1-0.
No injury troubles for the visitors, and only a fool would want to change a team that so comprehensively won the previous match. James Anderson?s come back to form in this tour has been big gain for this England side, especially after Simon Jones, one of the Ashes heroes, was ruled out of this tour due to injury. But Anderson has done extremely well to fill up that gap, and will want to continue that good form in the remaining two matches.
England would want to improve its batting though, especially the likes of Strauss, Trescothick and Flintoff all of whom failed to impress much in the first test. But then batting was a nightmare in that game.
Faisalabad?s Iqbal stadium is the venue for the 2nd test match, and initial reports suggest that a much faster wicket has been prepared this time around. The variable bounce and speed contributed to the batting collapses in the first test at Multan, but the groundsmen at feel that this wicket will help both bowlers and batsmen.
It is however believed that batting first and setting a good score in the first innings could be the key factor in this game, but then that?s what we had said before the Multan game.
All three Tests between Pakistan and England have been drawn - Pakistan leg-spinner Danish Kaneria made his debut in the game five years ago.
There have been two England centuries in Faisalabad Tests - by David Gower and Chris Broad - and three by Pakistan batsmen against them.
England's Ashley Giles took 5-75 at Faisalabad on the 2000 tour but having been set 244 for victory, the tourists batted out 57 overs to make 125-5.
All in all England clearly have the advantage heading into this game, after that big win at Multan, but you can never rule out a team like Pakistan.