It looks like a batting bonanza at Lord's today, with both sides fielding a sub-standard attack due to injuries, yet... modern Test cricket throws up few draws because of helter-skelter run-rates.

So, despite the absence of Andrew Flintoff, Simon Jones, Shoaib Akhtar, Rana Naved-ulHasan, Mohammad Asif and, possibly, Matthew Hoggard, there could still be a result.

It all depends upon the only two world-class bowlers in the match, Steve Harmison and Danish Kaneria. Harmison owes England big time, as he admitted on Tuesday in a candid interview which was more honest than the view expressed in his Sunday newspaper column that "the ball came out OK in the oneday series, and I never take much notice of criticism anyway."

Yesterday's summary of his appalling one-day series was more accurate - "I didn't bowl well, there was little rhythm, I wasn't consistent about anything, and I just hope that I can lead the attack better in this Test match."

Figures rarely lie in Test cricket, and Harmison's 53 wickets at 37.5 since 2004 explain why he has dropped from world ranking No 1 bowler to 17th.

Unless the Durham fast bowler performs much better, England could well be flayed to all parts of St John's Wood by a powerful Pakistan side that, astonishingly, is the only major Test-playing country not to be beaten in a series in this country in the last 24 years.

They have always been a team of all the talents but coach Bob Woolmer has got his players performing as a team, not just a collection of disparate talents. However England bowl, their best chance of winning rests with the batsmen. There will be six, with Ian Bell the last of them and, seemingly, fed up with being shunted up and down the order. He admits to putting himself under extreme pressure and "will try to lighten up my approach."

He knows that Flintoff will be back for the second Test at Old Trafford so he is in a three-man dogfight for two places with Alastair Cook and Paul Collingwood.

Cricket is not always a team game, with individual battles always being waged. Pressure is the buzz word and that is what three of the top six will be under today.

Collingwood is a toughie and will fight tooth and nail to hold on to his place, no matter about other candidates. Cook is the up and coming new boy who looks to be a certainty for Australia this winter.

As for Bell, he has had three or four runs in the side, averages close to 40 boosted by Steve Harmison, whose 53 Test wickets since 2004 have cost 37.5 apiece, in the nets at Lord's Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, but is still only a fringe player. Why? He is almost another Keith Fletcher who used to walk in to bat almost apologetically. Nobody is asking him to strut and swagger his way to the crease a la Tony Greig, Kevin Pietersen and Flintoff but body language is important.

The only way for England to win is to post a big total. If they bat first - a near certainty if they win the toss - they must top 400 at least.

If Pakistan bat first Harmison & Co will be at full stretch to prevent England chasing the game. Leg-spinner Kane-ria played an influential part in Pakistan's 2-0 win on home soil last December and his duel with Pietersen and the rest will be a fascinating one.

The weather is set fair, and sell-out crowds will watch with interest England's efforts to prove that their dismal showing against Sri Lanka was only a blip, and not an indication of something more permanent.