Cook v Amir among the key England v Pakistan battles ahead of first Lord's Test

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  • The Test summer of cricket is set to get underway on Thursday at Lord’s as England host Pakistan in the first match of a two-Test series.

    After a winter of discontent in for the Three Lions, which saw Test series defeats against Australia and New Zealand, Joe Root’s men will be desperate to start on the front foot.

    For Pakistan, they begin the north London contest off the back of a morale-boosting five-wicket victory over Ireland at Malahide in Dublin last week.

    The Men in Green are by no means just the pre-curtain raiser to the five-match contest to come against India later this summer.

    Here, we look at three potentially key on-the-field battles at the Home of Cricket.

    ALASTAIR COOK V MOHAMMAD AMIR

    It is a defining summer for England’s all-time leading run-scorer in Test cricket following his winter of struggle, which saw him dismissed for under 20 in 10 out of 13 innings. But for his 244 not out against Australia on a flat track at Melbourne, the 33-year-old veteran opener would have averaged nowhere near 47 during the Ashes and finished at a rate of 5.75 against the Black Caps. When he strides out at the Home of Cricket to bat, it will be his 153rd consecutive Test – a staggering feat for an opener – equalling that of the legendary Allan Border. In a sense, Cook has nothing to prove given the fact he has 12,000 runs in the bank but failure to perform consistently and score big this summer will just continue the questions about his future.

    The Essex man has earned the right to make his own call on when he decides to call it a day – he almost did just that during the Ashes – but it certainly isn’t getting any easier. Indeed, the record Sachin Tendulkar holds of 15,921 runs – a figure Cook was expected to eclipse – looks a long, long way away now. Having said that, and having had 12 different opening partners since Andrew Strauss’ retirement back in 2011, he will enjoy the fact Mark Stoneman – who is also under-pressure – will be there to open alongside him for some form of consistency.

    The prospect of facing Amir – a man who has been passed fit to play in his third Lord’s Test – is perhaps not a comfortable proposition. Cook, when in-form, gets round his frail tendency outside off-stump by leaving well but his lack of footwork and that once famed defence looked sluggish against the likes of fellow left-armers Mitchell Starc and Trent Boult over the winter.

    Having looked like he was bowling at good lick during Dublin, if Amir can reach the high 80s and then some he could get Cook out early with a moving ball and put the hosts’ batting line-up under pressure. Two years ago, during Pakistan’s first Test win at Lord’s en-route to a 2-2 series draw, Amir found a way through Cook’s defences in the first innings – bowling him for 81. He also dismissed him after Cook reached his century in Manchester and if you go further back, to the 2010 series, Amir had Cook three times. If you factor in the good form of Mohammad Abbas, that should help Amir too.

    LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 22: Alastair Cook of England poses for a portrait at Lord's Cricket Ground on May 22, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

    Ready for battle: Cook stern-faced ahead of Pakistan Test.


    JOE ROOT V SARFRAZ AHMED

    Like Cook, this is a defining summer for Root and his captaincy. Failure to turn anyone of his last nine fifties into 100s is a genuine problem but his batting will come good and big scores are around the corner. Batting at No.3 should be a huge factor. Six defeats in seven Tests during the winter as captain was not just down to the Yorkshireman (there were plenty of other factors), but in any sense, is a stain on his record. With an eye to the 2019 Ashes, this is a crucial juncture in the 27-year-old’s career and at least he can kick-start the summer with the fresh impetus of the returning Jos Buttler and young spinner Dominic Bess.

    He will be hoping positive selections, with the help of new national selector Ed Smith, can give England greater cutting edge. Root has room to grow as captain and ultimately a leader. There were times over the winter where he looked short of ideas, and although there were circumstances out of his control like the Ben Stokes saga, he needs to seize his chance to put his stamp on this team. He is as committed as anyone to the England cause and has many likeable characteristics, so England fans will be hoping they are soon mirrored in his side.

    For Sarfraz, captaining a Pakistan side that are as unpredictable as ever is no mean task. Matches are never dull involving his team, indeed, the Men in Green have not drawn a Test in their past 20 matches. However, the 31-year-old will actually feel like he has a good chance to upstage Root.

    To captain Pakistan in all three-forms, taking over from the golden era Misbah left behind and still contribute efficiently as a middle-order batsman (averaging over 40 as skipper since taking the reins in May 2017), as well as keep wicket, has kept his plate full. Unlike Root, Sarfraz is a more natural captain and has had the benefit of more experience, coupled with the fact he will always be the darling of his country’s cricketing history having guided Pakistan to victory over India in the 2016 ICC Champions Trophy final. It will be fascinating to see how both captains approach this.

    LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 23: England captain Joe Root and Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed hold the NatWest series trophy at Lord's Cricket Ground on May 23, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

    Captains are braced for action: Joe Root and Sarfraz Ahmed.

    JAMES ANDERSON V AZHAR ALI

    What left is there to say about 35-year-old Anderson? With 531 Test wickets to his name, he is still England’s key performer and will be buoyed by the fact partner in crime Stuart Broad looks to be getting back to his best after going back to basics. Anderson toiled hard over the winter, but well, and there’s every reason to suggest he should fill his boots against Pakistan and India, given they could struggle in alien conditions early on.

    Last summer, he claimed 39 wickets at 14 apiece – and that’s not out of reach again for the man who is fifth in the all-time wicket-taking charts and is closing in on Glenn McGrath in fourth to become the most decorated seamer, in terms of wickets, of all time. It is well documented what the Lancastrian brings to this attack: swing, seam and deception making him a nightmare for batsmen the world-over for the past 15 years. The fact his body is still holding up is good news for England and he believes he can go on for another two years. Expect another big summer of him, with Azhar being just one of the batsman tasked with keeping him out.

    The experienced Lahore native struggled against Ireland – and was undone by the seam of Boyd Ranking an Tim Murtagh – mustering just six runs in two innings. Ali will perhaps feel relieved that he has got those low scores out of the way and indeed bounced back with a steady knock of 73 in the tour match against Leicestershire. For a team lacking the batting experience and clout of old, this is a chance for Ali to step up to the plate, along with Babar Azam, and prove they are heir to the thrones of Misbah and Younis Khan.

    LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 23: James Anderson and Stuart Broad of England walk through the Long Room at Lord's Cricket Ground on May 23, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

    Key men: James Anderson and Stuart Broad.

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