“I had a couple of practice sessions,” Babar said. “I’m 90% fit for tomorrow and the rest of the series.”

“You need to produce complete team performances,” he said. “You have to bowl and bat in partnerships. And you have to take it deep as a batter if you’re set. If you’re set, it’s a little easier. For a new batter, it’s a little bit difficult to build partnerships.”

Pakistan found that out to their cost in the first game, where their only partnership of note was followed by a damaging collapse. Imam-ul-Haq and Abdullah Shafique appeared to have shaken off a couple of early blows and forged a 91-run partnership. However, neither was able to capitalise on the start they made, and once that stand was broken, the floodgates opened. Their last eight wickets fell for 64 runs, with Pakistan going from 97 for 2 to fold limply for 171 – their lowest first-innings Test score for a decade.

Babar’s arrival should provide some heft in a middle order that has not been able to sustain much pressure of late. Shafique, one of the few bright sparks for the visitors’ batting over the last month, is expected to bat alongside Babar rather than being moved up to open as the captain’s return reshuffles the batting line-up. Azan Awais is expected to make way, but the Pakistan captain did not wish to see the position of Shafique, who has scored 260 runs at 130 in his last four innings, disturbed.

“The number Abdullah is batting, he should [continue to] play there,” he said. “He’s batted three and four since his comeback. He’s got confidence there so he’ll continue there. We need to [stamp out] the back-to-back wickets we lose. The senior batters need to be more focused and make up for it.”

It is the first time Babar will lead Pakistan out in England on what is his third tour to the country. He was appointed Pakistan captain for the first time immediately after they last toured here in 2020, and will become the 15th Pakistani to led out a side at Lord’s.

“When you lead the Pakistan side on this ground, it’s an honour,” Babar said. “I do my best on the field as captain and when I’m batting, I just play my game. Our stats here are good and we’d like to continue that. We will forget about the first Test and are looking forward to this one.”