This article will talk about the probable XIs for both teams and continue with the Dream11 predictions and the winning fantasy team for the Second ODI between England and Pakistan that is scheduled to take place on the 10th July 2021.
ODI cricket returns to the home of cricket Lord’s after the eventful ICC World Cup Final 2019. The 2nd of the 3-match series between the hosts England and Pakistan will be played at the venue. England will fond memories of this venue and after thumping Pakistan in the 1st ODI by 9 wickets, they will be upbeat at the prospects of a series win. It will be quite a win if Ben Stokes led England could pull it off, especially with everything happening around them in the last 1 week.
Pakistan too will want to erase the 1st ODI loss and look to keep the series alive going into the 3rd ODI at Edgbaston. They had won their last 3 bilateral ODI series and would love to continue the winning run. In recent times, Lords’ has proved to be a happy hunting ground for them as they won 2 games here in the World Cup 2019.
Match Details
Venue: Lord’s Cricket Ground, London
Pitch: The pitches in the current English summer have proved to be assisting the seamers and Batsman at times have struggled to score easy runs. In general Lord’s is a ground where we can find a good battle between bat and ball. The average scored at this venue in ODIs is 237. Light rain is predicted throughout the day and the temperature in London will be around 19°C.
Date and Time: July 10, 2021, 3.30 PM IST, 11.00 AM Local
Probable Playing XIs
England will most likely play with an unchanged team that won in the 1st ODI. Their bowlers were clinical in the approach as they bowled out Pakistan for 141. Saqib Mahmood took 4 wickets and pushed back the Pakistan batters. The host’s batting is yet to be tested as Dawid Malan and Zak Crawley cruised to a 9-wicket win. So Ben Stokes will be tempted to make no changes to the team unless any injury.
Pakistan would have lots to ponder about after their crushing defeat in the 1st ODI. Their top-order just collapsed as two of their main scorers in ODIs Babar Azam and Imam got out for ducks. The only positive thing was the batting of Fakhar Zaman who made a confident 47. Their bowlers didn’t have much to defend and the Babar-led team also will remain unchanged.
England: Phil Salt, Zak Crawley, Dawid Malan, James Vince, Ben Stokes(c), John Simpson(wk), Lewis Gregory, Craig Overton, Saqib Mahmood, Matthew Parkinson, Brydon Carse.
Pakistan: Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam(c), Mohammad Rizwan(wk), Sohaib Maqsood, Saud Shakeel, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf.
Match Prediction
Looking at the team sheets, one will have to say Pakistan is the favorite but after England’s first ODI performance it can be anyone’s game. England will look to keep the unbeaten streak at home in tact while Pakistan would want to make a strong comeback. A riveting contest is on the cards but on form, England has an edge.
Fantasy Tips
Batsman: Openers from either team, Fakhar Zaman and Dawid Malan looked in fantastic form in the 1st ODI. So they should be an automatic pick in the fantasy XI. Babar Azam, despite his rare failure in the 1st game, is a world-class player, and the no.1 ODI batsman. Along with them, Zak Crawley can be picked as the 4th batman in your fantasy team.
Wicket-Keeper: Mohammad Rizwan will be the must-pick option from the wicket-keeping section, even though he didn’t have the best outing in the 1st ODI.
All-rounders: Ben Stokes had a minimal role in the 1st ODI but an all-rounder of his stature is a must in the fantasy team. Faheem Ashraf or England’s Lewis Gregory can be the next all-rounder option along with Shahdab Khan of Pakistan.
Bowlers: The first match hero Saqib Mahmood can be selected as the bowler of your fantasy eleven. Shaheen Afridi, the talented young pacer along with Haris Rauf or Craig Overton can make up your fantasy XI.
Captaincy Choices
Fantasy Team: Dawid Malan, Babar Azam(VC), Fakhar Zaman, Zak Crawley, Mohammad Rizwan, Ben Stokes(c), Lewis Gregory/ Faheem Ashraf, Shadab Khan, Saqib Mahmood, Haris Rauf/ Craig Overton, Shaheen Shah Afridi
Captain – Ben Stokes
Ben Stokes is one of the best all-rounders in cricket right now. More often than not, he delivers in all departments which are likely to give more points.
Vice-Captain – Babar Azam
Babar Azam is the number one ODI batsman in the world and one of the best in contemporary cricket. His run-scoring spree in this format is also stunning.
Dream11 Team