Stokes likely to play second Test on Multan pitch used in series opener

New Delhi, Oct 13 (IANS) England captain Ben Stokes is likely to play in the second Test against Pakistan, which might be played on the Multan pitch used in the series opener. Stokes, who has been out of auction due to a hamstring injury in August, was seen bowling at full pace in the nets on Sunday.

With spinners Jack Leach and Shoaib Bashir taking huge bowling workload during England’s triumph by an innings and 47 runs on a flat pitch in the first Test, Stokes may be eased back into bowling and could come into the eleven in place of all-rounder Chris Woakes.

"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. 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," said James Anderson, England’s bowling consultant and their leading wicket-taker in Tests, to BBC Sport.

In the first Test, thanks to Harry Brook’s 317 and Joe Root’s 262, England amassed a record 823/7. But with cracks already on the pitch, it is expected to favour spinners more. Asked about the prospect of playing a fresh Test match on a used pitch, a rare occurrence in the cricketing world, Anderson remarked, "That's a first for me in Test cricket. That is what it’s looking like. We don’t know what we’re going to get. It could be another pitch, or they have repaired this one really well and it’s flat again.

"Going off the last game, we did see it go up and down, mainly down, towards the back end. The cracks started opening up. I’m no groundsman, but I don’t think you can make cracks go back together that easily, certainly in three days.

"You’d expect it to do something off the cracks and with it being dry and hot again, you’d expect the spinners to play more of a part. It's their decision, their conditions, their home game. They can do what they want. The fact that it's the same pitch doesn't determine the result."

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