England have no choice but to win the ENG vs SA 2nd Test match if they are to remain in the series. South Africa, on the other hand, will be even more motivated to clinch the series with a game in hand. One of the major reasons for South Africa’s drive is to collect the crucial 12 points and get even closer to earning a place in the second edition of the 2021–2023 ICC Test Championship final. Therefore, both teams will be determined to compete at their highest level. The match promises a battle of tactics, aggression, and a commitment to overcoming each other. The England versus South Africa second match preview is discussed in this article.

England vs South Africa 2nd Test Preview

The English campaign is likely to hit back hard after a demoralizing loss to South Africa in the series-opening Test at Lord’s in London. The South African side is full of confidence at the moment. The visiting side will try to frustrate the home team by continuing their good work in the second match as well. England have remained unbeaten in their last three matches at Old Trafford, which can boost their confidence.

Besides, England have only lost one match against South Africa and been victorious in four at this ground. The second Test match will begin on August 25 (Thursday) at Old Trafford in Manchester. The scheduled start time of the match is 4 p.m. (Bangladesh Standard Time).

Read Asia Cup Qualifier 2022: Which team is the favourite to qualify?

Test record between England and South Africa at Old Trafford in Manchester

Match	England Won	South Africa Won	Draw
9	4	1	4

   Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/

England

What went wrong for the English team to lose the opening match in three days? The reason might be that their Bazball strategy didn't turn out as expected. Did English batters aim to be aggressive against South Africa?

Although they adopted an aggressive strategy, the Proteas bowling unit's disciplined bowling performance made sure that England's team was twice bowled out for less than 200 runs during the game. The English campaign must evaluate which approach will serve them best and how they might attack the opposition if they want to maintain their dominance in the second match.

Predicted Playing XI

Top-Order: Alex Lees, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope;

Middle-Order: Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (captain), Ben Foakes (wicket-keeper), Stuart Broad

Lower-Order: Matthew Potts, Jack Leach, James Anderson.

Read England to play 3 Test matches in Pakistan in December

South Africa

The South African side was delighted after snatching a commanding victory over England. Their bowling ticks almost every box and puts the opposition batters under pressure by maintaining a good bowling display. Kagiso Rabada, in particular, was sensational, claiming seven wickets in the first Test. He also reached the 250-wicket milestone.

Anrich Nortje also had a brilliant outing, picking up six wickets in the contest. The Proteas side will thrive for an even better performance in the second Test, so that the English side gets no chance in the contest.

Predicted Playing XI

Top-Order: Dean Elgar (captain), Sarel Erwee, Keegan Petersen;

Middle-Order: Aiden Markram, Rassie van der Dussen, Marco Jansen, Kyle Verreynne (wicket-keeper), Keshav Maharaj;

Lower-Order: Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi.

Read Hasnain replaces injured Afridi for Asia Cup

Manchester's 2nd Test between ENG and SA: Pitch Report & Weather Forecast

The second Test match venue, Old Trafford in Manchester, hasn’t hosted a Test match since August 2020. It’s a pitch where the pace bowlers usually dominate. As per the last three years' stats, Stuart Broad has taken the highest 27 wickets in 8 innings.

Besides, the team that batted first won three out of the last four Test matches. The toss-winning captain may opt to bat first here at Old Trafford. There is a minimal chance of rain, especially in the last two days of the match. Otherwise, the weather is likely to remain sunny and sometimes cloudy from Thursday to Monday.

Bottom Line

The Ben Stokes-Brendon McCullum pair’s winning momentum in Test cricket came to an end when South Africa handed them an innings defeat in the opening Test of a 3-match series at Lord’s. The majority of the cricketing world has started to criticize that the Proteas practically buried McCullum’s intent to implement the Bazball tactic into the Test format after registering a thumping win over England.

Read Sridharan to call the shots in Asia Cup as consultant

The English campaign is unlikely to change their new tactic after just one loss. But they have to make some adjustments in their playing XI and possibly in their game plan in order to overcome the visiting side in the ENG vs SA 2nd Test. On the other hand, South Africa will be looking to duplicate their first Test performance and win the series.