England vs Pakistan, second Test: All you need to know

It's do or die time for England as they look to level the Test series against Pakistan at Headingley. The Cricketer looks at all the vital pieces of information you need to know ahead of the game

It's do or die time for England as they look to level the Test series against Pakistan at Headingley.

Defeat in the first match at Lord's last week means England, and captain Joe Root, need to make quick amends with victory over the tourists in Leeds.

The Cricketer looks at all the vital pieces of information you need to know ahead of the game.

What’s the occasion?

It's the second Test match of the summer, against Pakistan.

Where is the venue for this match?

Headingley, the home ground of Yorkshire, is the host for this one.

How do we rate England’s chances?

Um. Very hard to say. An early-summer Test in Leeds should really favour England and their mastery of the swinging ball but, given the evidence we have at hand, Pakistan are in just as good a place to make the most of the conditions. Why do we say that? Well, at Lord's in the first Test, the tourists - through Mohammed Amir, Mohammad Abbas and Hasan Ali - rattled through England twice on the way to a nine-wicket victory. That means they hold a 1-0 lead in the two-match series and therefore REALLY need a win at Headingley.

Who are England likely to play?

There's concern over Ben Stokes. The England allrounder pulled up with a tight hamstring on Wednesday and may not feature. Sam Curran of Surrey has been called up to the squad as cover. Mark Wood could also miss out, with Chris Woakes expected to return. 

What about Pakistan? 

Babar Azam will miss out after fracturing his arm at Lord's. Otherwise, expect few changes for Pakistan after an excellent performance in the first Test. The visitors' all-round ability in the field and fitness levels have been highly impressive.

When is first ball?

The two sides get going at 11am on Friday morning.

How can we follow this glorious affair?

Sky Sports Cricket (Sky 404, Virgin 514) have all the coverage of the moving image variety, as with the rest of the English international summer, and their coverage gets underway from 10am.

What about if I don’t have a TV handy nearby?

Old reliable Test Match Special is there, Talksport cannot get their hands on the home stuff just yet,  with radio coverage, on Five Live Sports Extra. That’s 12B on DAB digital radio, channel 706 on Freeview, 0144 on Sky and 908 on Virgin Media.

The Cricketer will have daily round-ups, in-play updates on social media and plenty to keep you entertained throughout the Test.

What’s the weather looking like?

There’s a chance of rain throughout but nowhere near as bad as the south of England. Don't worry about thunderstorms, that's for sure. However, overcast conditions means plenty of assistance in the air for the bowlers.

Who's favourite?

You can get Pakistan at a whopping 10/3 on one cricket betting site, England are still odds-on favourites at 3/5, with the draw available at 4/1.

Thank you kindly.

As ever, the pleasure is all on us.

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