A meeting of captains in search of redemption

When Joe Root and Babar Azam come face to face for the toss at Lord's, it will be a meeting of two captains in their second winds, both trying to prove a point at a time when their teams need so much from them.

For Root, it is about showing that his return to the England captaincy can be more than a nostalgic, even desperate, second act. His first Test back in charge was nearly perfect, with England producing an emphatic innings win at Headingley. But instead of that performance dominating the conversation, the headlines have once again been about England players finding their way into trouble.

Root 'hacked off' by off-field distractions

Root had expected his players to take responsibility and behave like "grown-ups", going as far as removing the midnight curfew. No wonder he admitted to being "hacked off" and "disappointed" that "stupid mistakes" were taking the focus off England's cricket. Brydon Carse, who was seen in handcuffs outside a Derby nightclub and is the latest player to get into trouble, has been dropped for this Test, although England will not feel the cricketing pinch quite as sharply. He was not part of the Playing XI at Headingley, unlike Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson when they were dropped earlier this summer and England subsequently lost the match and the series.

The challenge for Root, then, is not necessarily to fix England on the field. Headingley suggested there is little that needs fixing at the moment. It is about keeping the noise away from a side that has found itself on the wrong page of the newspapers far too often in recent times. "What I will say is that actually we have an opportunity moving forward. Clearly, we're not portraying ourselves how we want our ability to build a culture that's very strong, something that we can be proud of, that's player-driven," Root said.

Babar returns and promises a 'different Pakistan'

For Babar, the equation is far simpler, and considerably more immediate. He batted in the nets two days out from the Test and is poised to return after missing the first match, in which the manner of the defeat stood out for the visitors. Their fast bowlers, mostly bowling in the 130s, looked a world removed from their predecessors, while their batters, from the top order through the middle, looked uncertain and unsure.

Pakistan can point to the inexperience of the side and the difficulty of those conditions, but Lord's offers them an opportunity to snap out of their winless streak in SENA countries, which has now extended to 17 Tests going back to 2018. Babar confirmed he is around 90% fit and has already faced both fast bowlers and spinners in the nets.

"Yesterday, I had a couple of practice sessions and again after that I am doing my practice sessions. I am 90% fit for tomorrow's match and the rest of the series." - Babar Azam, Pakistan captain

Babar insists his return will breed a different side, insisting the squad has a habit of responding when written off. "We as a team have this ability to make a statement when we are written off and I think you will see a different side at Lord's, which historically has been a good ground for us," he said.

He also said the senior players, including himself, must take greater responsibility, while leaving the door open for changes if players fail to perform after getting enough chances. "These are our best players and we have to back them to give them confidence, but even I believe that if someone doesn't perform despite chances then one must think about changes," he added. He stressed the pressure should not be placed only on Mohammad Rizwan, saying all senior players are expected to deliver.

'They've already lost a lot of fans' — Ramiz Raja's warning

Pakistan's struggles are beginning to show beyond the scorecard, with former captain Ramiz Raja warning that the team's struggles. They were thrashed by England by an innings and 103 runs in the opening Test at Headingley, with their batting collapsing for just 171 and 135. England's bowlers, led by Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue, claimed eight wickets apiece as the hosts wrapped up the contest inside three days. Speaking on a cricket podcast with famous former England captains Alastair Cook and Michael Vaughan, Ramiz said Pakistan's repeated setbacks were contributing to a growing disconnect with supporters.

"Social media is after them. They've already lost a lot of fans. So it's become a norm when you lose a Test match — it means another lot of fans withdrawing from cricket. I think Pakistan needs to give supporters reasons to stay behind them." - Ramiz Raja

The former Pakistan skipper, who also served as PCB chairman, stressed that rebuilding and retaining the fan base should be a priority. "I have always believed that when you start losing fans and supporters, the first pillar has probably fallen. To become a great side you by fafans behind you and it is vice-versa," he added.

Pitch, weather and team news

The pitch for the fixture against New Zealand earlier this summer led to the second-shortest Test match at the venue, and the surface was rated "unsatisfactory" by the ICC. Match referee Andy Pycroft pointed to "excessive seam movement" and the ball keeping "extremely low on several occasions". Some rain is being predicted through the course of the match.

England did not play a specialist spinner in the first Test, and after the kind of victory they had in Leeds it is likely they could again go in unchanged. Probable XI: Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Jordan Cox, Joe Root (c), Harry Brook, Dan Lawrence, Jamie Smith (w), Ollie Robinson, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue.

Babar is set to slot in at No. 4, which means Abdullah Shafique is likely to open, with Azan Appais making way for him. Pacerv Shah, who made his debut in the Caribbean, missed out on selection in the first Test and could get a look-in. Probable XI: Abdullah Shafique, Imam, Shan Masood, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (w), Salman Agha (c), Ali Usman, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Abbas.

Did you know?

• Joe Root is set to play his 168th Test, surpassing Ben Broad and joining Ricky Ponting and Steve Waugh. Only Sachin Tendulkar (200) and James Anderson (188) have played more.
• Babar Azam averages 65.75 in England, with three fifties in six innings. Against England, he averages 53.83, with a fifty or a hundred in seven of 14 innings.
• England have won their last four Tests at Lord's; their last defeat came here in the 2023 Ashes.