Watch: Babar Azam hits Lord's indoor nets — Is he playing the 2nd Test vs England?

Pakistan experienced a daunting start in the three-match Test series against England at Leeds in Headingley, with a defeat by an innings and 103 runs. Their batters, in the absence of captain and one of the most experienced players of the side, Babar Azam, fell like a pack of cards. But Babar has started his net practice at Lord’s indoor net to settle the nerves of the fans.  

In the first innings of the game, the visitors were ruled out for just 171 runs, with only Abdullah Shafique getting a half-century. Meanwhile, the home side posted a huge score of 409 runs, after which the visitors were rolled over for just 135 in only 37.3 overs during their second innings.

Back in the nets — Watch Babar Azam's first practice session ahead of the Lord's Test

Pakistan’s captain, Babar Azam, has returned for full-fledged batting practice in the indoor nets of Lord’s ahead of the second game against England. He was the first player to enter the nets with the full kit, starting with the throwdown before moving outside to face the bowlers.

Watch Babar Azam's practice session at Lord's indoor nets- 

The main focus, from the beginning of the practice session, was on Babar’s hand, which showed no visible bandage during the session, as it signalled a strong recovery from the finger injury that forced him to miss the series opener at Leeds.

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Babar was challenged with the short ball. He looked sharp with the pull shot before cutting with proper timing into the point region of the game. He would hope to mark his return for the second Test of the series.

Fitness update: Will Babar Azam return to lead Pakistan at Lord's after missing the opener?

Babar was unable to shake his hand after being struck on the right hand during their warm-up clash in Beckenham. It was the same hand he was hit on during the second Test match against the West Indies side earlier this month at the Port of Spain, Trinidad. They lacked experience in the batting order during the first Test against England under the leadership of Salman Ali Agha.

The scans showed no fracture, and recent updates from the training sessions at Lord’s show no swelling, pain, or bandages, making him ready to return. If he returns to the XI, it will be a massive boost for the visitors.

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“Hopefully Babar will come back in the next match, and his presence will give a boost to our batting,” Agha revealed during the press conference after the end of the Headingley Test.

Fans react to Babar Azam's return to the nets

The Pakistan fans are hopeful of Babar’s return for the second Test match against England at Lord’s-