England hope for another Pakistan wobble

Match facts

October 22-26, 2015
Start time 10am local (0600 GMT)

Big Picture

It took a while for the fuse to burn down in Abu Dhabi but, after four days of attritional accumulation, the series exploded into life on the final afternoon. The sands suddenly shifted and it was Pakistan who were left feeling unsteady, clinging to a draw as the light faded on England's run chase.

Their second-innings collapse was branded "unacceptable" by Waqar Younis, Pakistan's coach, and he suggested England could no longer be considered underdogs. Such aberrations have become exactly that since Grant Flower became involved with Pakistan's batsmen, however, and their top order remains the most prolific over the last 12 months. They will also have fond memories of 2012 to draw on.

Three years ago, England chose to bat on the first morning in Dubai and found themselves 52 for 5 at lunch. It set the tone for the series and even though they managed to bowl Pakistan out for 99 in the third Test a couple of weeks later, they were steamrollered by tons from Azhar Ali and Younis Khan in the second innings. Only two England players to managed to pass 50 in either Test - Andrew Strauss and Matt Prior - and both are now retired.

Since then, Pakistan's form in Dubai has been patchy, with defeats to South Africa and Sri Lanka and a draw with New Zealand either side of a big win over Australia. The pitch is expected to be more receptive to pace - especially early on - and spin (you would have to trawl the souks to find something with less life), meaning that batsmen on both sides will have to work harder for their runs.

Alastair Cook showed England the way in Abu Dhabi and they will have taken great confidence from the way they wrested control of the match. But the scoreline remains 0-0 and Yasir Shah's return for Pakistan presents a potent threat: he took seven wickets here on debut exactly a year ago.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)
Pakistan DWLWW
England DLWWL

In the spotlight

It is rare that so much attention falls on legspin, simply because opportunities to get all gooey are few and far between, but Adil Rashid's flip-reverse debut performance and the presence of a fit-again Yasir Shah will have fans of wrist action all hot and bothered. There will be some who contend that Yasir would have made the difference in Abu Dhabi, bowling at a quicker pace and turning the ball both ways, but he has been somewhat upstaged by Rashid running through Pakistan in the second innings. Rashid should consequently be feeling a little less pressure and it is Yasir, expected to be Pakistan's match-winner, who must be prepared to shoulder a weight of expectation, dodgy back notwithstanding

The runs flowed, thick and slow like treacle, across the first four days at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium but the top orders won't have it so easy (possibly ever) again. Pakistan's subsequent capitulation was all the more concerning as it began with a Rash dismissal by Younis and then gathered speed when Misbah-ul-Haq also tossed his wicket away. They have been dismissed for 99 in the first innings at Dubai twice - South Africa did not let them off in the manner England did - and have generally found bigger totals harder to come by. England dealt with some of their UAE demons last week but Cook will not always contribute half of the total and the likes of Moeen Ali, Ian Bell and Joe Root must build on solid starts.

Team news

Ben Stokes missed training on Tuesday due to an upset stomach but turned up to take part 24 hours later, having seemingly recovered. Cook said that his condition would be assessed closer to the time, with England mindful that five days in the heat is a demanding business even at peak fitness. Including Samit Patel as a third spinner is an option that has not been ruled out while Liam Plunkett and Chris Jordan - who has arrived as Steven Finn's replacement - are the other candidates if Stokes is held back as a precaution. Mark Wood has previously suffered from playing Tests in quick succession but Cook suggested there were no plans to rest him.

England (possible) 1 Alastair Cook (capt), 2 Moeen Ali, 3 Ian Bell, 4 Joe Root, 5 Jonny Bairstow, 6 Ben Stokes, 7 Jos Buttler (wk), 8 Adil Rashid, 9 Stuart Broad, 10 Mark Wood, 11 James Anderson

Yasir, who missed the first Test with a back spasm, returned to practice even as his spin partner Zulfiqar Babar was slogging through 72 overs in Abu Dhabi and he is fit to take his place in the XI, most likely at the expense of Rahat Ali. Azhar Ali was expected to have recovered from a toe injury but the death of his mother-in-law means he has returned to Pakistan and won't be available - which in turn means Shan Masood is likely to keep his place despite ending the first Test in James Anderson's pocket. Offspinner Bilal Asif has joined the squad and will be considered even though he has undergone testing for a suspect action.

Pakistan (possible) 1 Shan Masood, 2 Mohammad Hafeez, 3 Shoaib Malik, 4 Younis Khan, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 6 Asad Shafiq, 7 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 8 Wahab Riaz, 9 Zulfiqar Babar, 10 Yasir Shah, 11 Imran Khan

Pitch and conditions

The pitch has reportedly been shaved of grass, though it has tended to offer a little extra pace for the seamers in the past. Misbah called it a "typical" Dubai surface and both captains were expecting a more even contest between bat and ball; Cook suggested a shadow cast by the stand could result in it retaining moisture first thing. Otherwise, the sun will take its toll throughout the five days, though temperatures might be a little cooler than Abu Dhabi.

Stats and trivia

• Fresh from breaking Javed Miandad's record, Younis Khan is 103 runs short of becoming the first Pakistani to 9000 in Tests

• Two of Sarfraz Ahmed's three Test hundreds have come in Dubai

• Alastair Cook has now scored 9015 runs at opener. He needs 16 to overtake Graeme Smith in second and almost 600 more to catch Sunil Gavaskar

• Ian Bell is set to go level with David Gower as England's fourth most-capped player, on 117 Tests

Quotes

"It was just one odd day and I think we have to forget that, but we have to be really professional in the next game."
Misbah-ul-Haq wants to move on quickly from the final day in Abu Dhabi

"No one has beaten Pakistan here yet and it would be great to be the first side to do it."
Alastair Cook reflects England's increased confidence at threatening Pakistan's record in the UAE since 2010