England’s fast bowling mentor James Anderson has suggested that Pakistan’s decision to re-use the Multan strip could potentially lead to Ben Stokes making a return for the second Test beginning on Tuesday (October 15).
Stokes, who is recovering from a hamstring injury, did not play the first Test against Pakistan and was instead seen carrying drinks throughout the five days for his teammates. His participation in the second Test was doubtful as well, with question marks over whether his hamstring would be able to withstand long spells in the heat.
However, with Pakistan now reportedly deciding to play on a used surface for the second Test, Anderson is hopeful that Stokes could make a return for the game, with lesser reliance on their third seamer. On a track that is expected to have plenty of cracks, Jack Leach and Shoaib Bashir, along with the handy Joe Root, will be expected to carry most of the responsibility with the ball.
Stokes, who was seen bowling full tilt on Sunday in the nets, is likely to return for the second Test, with Anderson telling BBC: “He looks great. He has worked really hard on his fitness and is looking as strong as I've ever seen him… Knowing Ben, once he gets into the game, there will be no stopping him. He's just that sort of player. He's good to go: we'll just have to wait and see what he can do in the game."
Anderson also predicted that re-using an old surface could play into the hands of the visitors. “When we're talking about Ben's workloads and his bowling, it might play into our hands with that, with the spinners potentially playing more of a part… We don't know what we're going to get.”
England won the first Test at this same venue last week by an innings and 47 runs, racking up Test cricket's fourth-highest score ever with 823-7 in the second innings.
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