Ramiz Raja
Former Pakistan captain on BBC Test Match Special

Pakistan have got to fall back on discipline in their bowling. There will be sessions when they have to sit in. They are at their best when they are picking up wickets. When you ask the bowlers to bowl a certain line they err, but ask them to pick a wicket they can do it easily.

Ed Smith
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

It's extremely unlikely to change your technique in three or four days. The most important thing is batsmen need to believe they have the game to succeed. Nobody's bowling at 95mph so it's about creating an environment of belief.

The thing with England is that when things go wrong, structural questions start to be asked. It's unusual for England to lose an important match without the whole structure of management and county cricket being questioned. They've got to forget that before this match.

Duncan Terry: England going back to the dark days where they were too afraid to try something new like Rashid and Borthwick.

Arthur Goddard: Ongoing inclusion of Ali tantamount to gross negligence on the part of the selectors.  

Richard Hayden: So England's tail starts around 8.5/9. With a deep batting lineup like that 400 should be standard.

Spectators just filing into OT, posh types already populating the Point, that big red building that looks like a scart lead port. Incidentally, the Point isn't at point at all. It's at third man. What's the thinking there?

Anthony, are you having a game with snooker star Shaun Murphy (in the black hat) there? Good lookalike...

I'm hearing that Adil Rashid has been released to play T20 cricket for Yorkshire this evening. Pacers Jake Ball and Steven Finn, already cut from the squad, can also turn out for Notts and Middlesex respectively.

At this point I feel it's only right that I point out Moeen Ali scored a 150 only three Tests ago. His bowling average this year is above 90, mind.

Robert Allen: It's disappointing Rashid isn't playing. Rashid is the better bowler and will contribute just as much with the bat.

Andy P: It appears England have decided to try and win the 2nd test with 9 players. Gary Ballance and Moeen Ali are wasted selections.

Michael Vaughan
Ex-England captain on BBC Test Match Special

This is the kind of day when you wake up and think, 'I should be making a score'. Don't go out playing too many rash shots because that's what Pakistan will be looking for.

BBC Weather's John Hammond: "It's good news for the first couple of days, but we're not going to get five full days of cricket. There are showers to the east of Manchester and showers to the west of Manchester, but if we get a shower at Old Trafford we will be extremely unlucky. We should get a full day's play.

"Tomorrow we will have a full day's play as well - there's plenty of sunshine. Things are a bit dodgy from Sunday onwards. There is a weather front coming in from the Atlantic. There will be rain from mid-afternoon onwards. On Monday there will be heavy showers. But for now there is lots of cricket to be enjoyed."

Image source, Getty Images

England: Alastair Cook (capt), Alex Hales, Joe Root, James Vince, Gary Ballance, Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Stuart Broad, James Anderson.

Pakistan: Mohammad Hafeez, Shan Masood, Azhar Ali, Younus Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Asad Shafiq, Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Amir, Rahat Ali, Yasir Shah.

Umpires: Kumar Dharmasena, Rod Tucker.

TV umpire: Joel Wilson; Match referee: Richie Richardson.

WeaklingChild: Leaving Rashid out? Ridiculous... Our batting is deep in theory and Rashid is a better spinner. I like Moeen but no.

Ewan Clark: Why is Ali playing he is as average as it gets.

Michael Vaughan
Ex-England captain on BBC Test Match Special

Someone like Moeen Ali just needs runs on the board. If the team gets runs, he's proven he's a good spinner. He's under pressure, though.

Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq: "We were having a plan to bat first. It's just a matter of being disciplined in what you do first.

"That's the biggest challenge for us, playing away in unfamiliar conditions. We need to make sure we are consistent."

England captain Alastair Cook: "There's a bit of grass on it but not too much live grass. The groundsman does a fair job and prepares a good wicket. We have a chance to right a few wrongs and put Pakistan under pressure.

"Jimmy's an outstanding bowler. Ben Stokes is a player a lot of sides would like to have.

"We're just playing one spinner. A lot of thought goes into it. At the end of the day it's 11 players and it's about how they play, not how many you leave in and leave out."

Misbah says he would have batted first, but it's hard to tell how disappointed he is - he never gives much away. Pakistan are unchanged.