Pakistan captain Babar Azam is set to return to the side after a “positive” training session two days out from the start of the second Test at Lord’s.

Umar Gul, Pakistan’s bowling coach, said Babar “looked good” while batting as he recovers from a finger injury initially picked up in the West Indies and later exacerbated when he was hit on the finger during Pakistan’s practice game at Beckenham.

“Babar batted in the nets, faced fast bowlers, spinners and throwdowns,” Gul said. “We’re hopeful he will be available for the game and today he was looking good; he batted well in the nets. He had a full batting session.”

Babar’s return will come as a significant boost to Pakistan’s batting, which plumbed new depths at Headingley. It took England less than 86 overs to bowl Pakistan out twice, their fifth-fewest in two completed innings. In the series that preceded this, Babar was Pakistan’s top run-scorer against the West Indies, scoring two half-centuries and amassing 193 runs for two dismissals.

While Gul stopped short of definitively ruling Babar in, it is understood to be all but confirmed. That means Babar will take the reins as Pakistan captain, a position he was reappointed to before the series against West Indies. It will be the first time he takes charge of a Pakistan side in England, having initially been appointed captain immediately after Pakistan’s previous tour here in 2020.

That means a reshuffle at the top of the order, with Azan Awais likely dropping out. One of Shan Masood or Abdullah Shafique will move up the order to open as Babar slots in at No. 4.

Babar has enjoyed success in England, scoring three half-centuries in six innings, and averaging 65.75. Across 14 innings against them, he averages 53.83, scoring either a half-century or a hundred in half his innings.

Gul, though warned Pakistan needed to do more than just take comfort in Babar’s impending return. “We’ll have to learn from the mistakes we made in the previous game. If you want to win a Test match, you have to perform in all departments. One can’t be carrying the other. But in these conditions, the responsibility lies more with the bowlers. Until you take 20 wickets, you can’t win a Test match.

“The players trained today with full intensity. I’m pretty sure the boys will bounce back properly here.”