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England are hopeful that their captain Ben Stokes will be fit to play in the second Test against Pakistan, which begins on Tuesday, October 15th in Multan. The allrounder missed the first Test due to a hamstring injury, but he has been training hard and is expected to make a return to competitive cricket.
Stokes suffered a torn hamstring while playing in the Hundred tournament in August and has been sidelined since then. He also missed England's recent 2-1 Test series win over Sri Lanka at home, where Ollie Pope captained the team.
Ollie Pope provides major update on Ben Stokes' availability
Although Stokes was training before the first Test against Pakistan, he did not fully recover in time. However, Pope has hinted that Stokes could be ready for the second Test, saying that he is "as keen as ever to get playing again".
"I’m actually not 100%. He’s been training really well this week. He’s as keen as ever to get playing again, so fingers crossed he’s all good," Pope said on being asked about Stokes' availability for second Test against Pakistan.
England's victory over Pakistan in the first Test was a testament to their strength and depth, even without their captain Ben Stokes. Led by Ollie Pope, the visitors dominated the match from start to finish, eventually winning by an innings and 47 runs.
Pakistan's batting performance was impressive, with captain Shan Masood scoring a century and Abdullah Shafique and Agha Salman also reaching three figures. However, their efforts were in vain as England's bowling attack proved too strong.
England's declaration came after they had amassed a massive total of 823 runs in their first innings. Joe Root and Harry Brook were the stars of the show, scoring double centuries. Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley also made significant contributions.
With just one day remaining after England's innings ended, the Test seemed likely to end in a draw. However, England's bowlers turned the game on its head, bowling out Pakistan for 220 runs. Spinner Jack Leach was the pick of the bowlers, taking four wickets.
Pakistan's batting collapsed early, but a partnership between Salman and Aamer Jamal gave them a glimmer of hope. However, once Leach dismissed Salman, Pakistan's tail did not last long.
