Pakistan suffered an early setback against England as Azan Awais was dismissed for a duck, and after him, Shan Masood also departed early. The two quick wickets left Pakistan under pressure in the opening stages of the Test.
The match, however, was delayed after 9 overs and 4 balls due to rain.
England won the toss against Pakistan in the first Test at Headingley; England chose to bowl Pakistan. This is the second time Joe Root will be taking over as the England Test captain.
The game starts with both teams facing uncertainty, with England in 7th place and Pakistan in 8th place in the World Test Championship table.
It only adds to the significance of the Three-Test series, as both sides have to win this series in order to survive the championship.
The English side has only managed to win two in their last 10 Tests and has not secured a Test series since the end of 2024.
They lost a three-match Test series to India for the first time in the format at home since 2012.
Read more: “Position doesn’t matter, Pakistan cricket comes first”: Shan Masood after Pakistan’s defeat
Pakistan’s record is also poor. They have won only two of their last seven Tests, and have not won a Test tour in England since 1996.
The Test side has also been subject to a lot of changes, with five different coaches taking care of the side since the 2023-24 season.
The Pakistan captain has also been ruled out of the first Test due to a hand injury, and the team had just started to transform under his leadership.
Salman Ali Agha is thus leading the side in this Test.
England is also going through huge changes after Ben Stokes retired after his summer campaign.
England are also in a coaching transition and are now captained by Root.
The Headingley Test is thus an opportunity for both teams to start their World Test Championship campaign afresh and establish some momentum at the outset of a series that may be pivotal to their goals.
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