England have one hand on the series already, and Pakistan now walk into the home of cricket knowing anything less than a win at Lord’s ends the contest with a Test still to play. After an innings and 103-run hammering at Headingley, Babar Azam’s side face their toughest task of the tour on a ground that has rarely been kind to visiting batting lineups.
Here’s everything you need on the venue, the team news, the predicted XIs and how to watch as the series heads to St John’s Wood.
England vs Pakistan 2nd Test Match Details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | England vs Pakistan, 2nd Test |
| Series | Pakistan tour of England 2026 |
| Dates | Thursday 27 to Monday 31 August 2026 |
| Venue | Lord’s Cricket Ground, London |
| Start time | 11:00am local / 10:00am GMT / 3:30pm IST |
| England captain | Joe Root |
| Pakistan captain | Babar Azam (fitness doubt) |
(Source: ECB, Cricbuzz)
For the touring party in full, see our Pakistan tour of England 2026 squads page.
Lord’s Venue Guide
Lord’s needs no introduction for English cricket fans, but here’s the quick reference on the ground itself.
| Venue Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Stadium | Lord’s |
| City | London, England |
| Capacity | 30,000 |
| Ends | Pavilion End, Nursery End |
| Home clubs | Marylebone Cricket Club, Middlesex |
| Also hosts | Lacrosse, hockey and archery at the 2012 Olympics |
(Source: Cricbuzz)
Recent matches here have produced plenty of lateral movement and uneven bounce, and a green tinged surface similar to the one used against New Zealand earlier this summer could make batting even harder for the tourists.
England vs Pakistan 2nd Test Preview Lord’s Pitch Report
Lord’s has developed a reputation in recent years for helping the ball move around, and that’s likely to shape how both captains think at the toss.
| Pitch Stat | Detail |
|---|---|
| Surface | Historically seam and swing friendly, especially early on |
| Recent trend | Green tinged surfaces similar to this summer’s New Zealand Test |
| Bounce | Uneven bounce has troubled batters in recent matches |
| Best conditions for | Fast bowlers, particularly with overhead cloud cover |
(Source: ESPNcricinfo)
Given Pakistan’s struggles with the moving ball at Headingley, a repeat of these conditions would hand England’s pace attack another significant advantage.
Want me to slot both of these into the full Lord’s preview now?
England vs Pakistan 1st Test Recap
England didn’t just win at Headingley, they dismantled Pakistan inside three days.
- England won by an innings and 103 runs after choosing to bowl first.
- Pakistan were bowled out for 171 and 135 in their two innings.
- England posted 409, built around Harry Brook’s 91, Jordan Cox’s 73 and a composed 66 from Joe Root.
- Ollie Robinson took match figures of 8 for 80, with Josh Tongue also finishing with eight wickets across the game.
- Ali Usman’s five wicket haul was one of the few bright spots for Pakistan.
(Source: ESPNcricinfo)
England vs Pakistan 2nd Test Preview
Pakistan arrive at Lord’s under real pressure. Babar Azam remains a doubt as he continues managing a finger injury, and his batting order needs far more discipline against the moving Duke ball than it showed at Headingley.
England, by contrast, come into this match full of confidence off the back of that Headingley win and a strong recent home record against Pakistan. Their four pronged pace attack will fancy their chances on a surface expected to offer plenty of seam movement early on.
- Pakistan must win to keep the series alive ahead of the Edgbaston finale.
- Lord’s has a history of assisting seamers, which suits England’s attack more than Pakistan’s batting lineup.
- Babar’s fitness remains the biggest selection question for the tourists.
(Source: ESPNcricinfo)
England vs Pakistan Head to Head in Tests
These two sides have built up a long rivalry stretching back decades, and the record remains fairly close even after England’s recent dominance.
| Category | Record |
|---|---|
| Total Matches | 93 |
| England Wins | 31 |
| Pakistan Wins | 23 |
| Drawn Matches | 39 |
(Source: Mykhel)
For the full breakdown across venues and series, see our England vs Pakistan head to head in Tests.
England and Pakistan Predicted Playing XI at Lord’s
Joe Root’s side go into this Test unchanged in personnel after their Headingley win, while Pakistan’s only doubt remains Babar Azam’s finger injury, with a decision expected close to the toss.
England Predicted XI
- Ben Duckett
- Emilio Gay
- Jordan Cox
- Joe Root (captain)
- Harry Brook
- Dan Lawrence
- Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper)
- Gus Atkinson
- Ollie Robinson
- Jofra Archer
- Josh Tongue
Pakistan Predicted XI
- Imam ul Haq
- Abdullah Shafique
- Shan Masood
- Babar Azam* (captain)
- Saud Shakeel
- Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper)
- Salman Ali Agha
- Khurram Shahzad
- Mohammad Ali
- Mohammad Abbas
- Ali Usman
*Doubtful with a finger injury.
(Source: ESPNcricinfo)
Key Player Battles to Watch at Lord’s
A couple of individual duels from Headingley look set to continue here.
- Joe Root vs Ali Usman: Root anchored England’s innings with a composed 66 last time out, while Usman was Pakistan’s standout bowler with five wickets. His left arm spin could grow in importance if the pitch wears later in the match.
- Abdullah Shafique vs Ollie Robinson: Shafique showed real resistance with a top score of 61 in the first Test, but Robinson kept finding a way through. Expect him to target the bounce and movement at Lord’s again against Shafique’s front foot game.
(Source: ESPNcricinfo)
England vs Pakistan 2nd Test Live Streaming
Fans can follow every ball of the match on tapmad, which is streaming the game in real time throughout all five days. For the full regional breakdown across the series, including UK and Indian broadcasters, check our England vs Pakistan Tests 2026 live streaming guide.
(Source: tapmad)
England Look to Seal the Series as Pakistan Fight for Survival at Lord’s
Pakistan know only a win keeps this series alive going into Edgbaston, and that’s a tall order against an England side playing with real confidence after Headingley.
Babar Azam’s fitness and the tourists’ response with both bat and ball will define how competitive this Test becomes. Cricket Insider UK will bring you toss updates and live coverage from Lord’s throughout the match.
