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.

The South African team unexpectedly lost an ODI series against Bangladesh at home last March. They were keen to make a strong statement in the opening match of the ENG vs SA 2022 series that they are a well-capable one-day side. Losing regular skipper Temba Bavuma because of an elbow injury was a blow for the Proteas side prior to the series. However, stand-in captain Keshav Maharaj’s team played brilliantly in the series-opening contest and clinched the match by 62 runs. The visiting side is now aiming to seal the series at Old Trafford on Friday. England vs South Africa 2nd ODI 2022: Match Preview The second game of the ongoing one-day international series between England and South Africa will take place on July 22 at Old Trafford in Manchester (Friday). The contest is slated to begin at 6 p.m. (Bangladesh Standard Time). South Africa have a solid ODI record at Old Trafford. They have won three in their last four games there. On the other hand, England have a strong record at this venue, winning twenty-seven games while losing fifteen. The Proteas team now leads the head-to-head battle with two victories after three meetings between England and South Africa at this stadium. Read England vs South Africa Series 2022: Full Fixtures, H2H Records Overall ODI record between South Africa and England (as on July 21, 2022) Matches England Win South Africa Win Tied No Result 64 28 31 1 4    Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/ England England as a team had a bad outing in the first ODI of the ENG vs SA 2022 series. Bowlers were expensive, and batters couldn’t do their job properly even after a 100-run opening wicket stand. England will need a much improved performance in the second ODI in order to stay alive in the series. Bowlers need to be disciplined, and not allowing the opposition to construct big partnerships will be vital in the contest. England's openers had a solid start in the first match. However, the English innings started to lose momentum after their departures. England's batters need to be confident against the Proteas spinners and should focus on dominating them in this do-or-die contest. Read Fixture revealed for matches between Zimbabwe and Bangladesh Probable Playing XI Top-Order: Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Middle-Order: Jos Buttler (captain & wicket-keeper), Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Craig Overton, Lower-Order: David Willey, Adil Rashid, Reece Topley South Africa The South African side looked more aggressive than England in the first ODI. They tried to dominate the English side and executed their plan properly. Rassie van der Dussen brilliant hundred, Aiden Markram and Janneman Malan’s fifties guided South Africa to put up a big score to defend. In England’s conditions, bowlers need to be disciplined to defend any total. The Proteas bowling unit was brilliant with their duties and managed to get breakthroughs when needed. The South African side should be prepared for a bigger challenge in the second match as England will attempt to make a strong comeback in the series. Probable Playing XI Top-order: Quinton de Kock (wicket-keeper), Janneman Malan, Rassie van der Dussen, Middle-Order: Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Andile Phehlukwayo, Keshav Maharaj (captain), Lower-Order: Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi. Read West Indies vs India Series 2022: Head-to-Head Stats and Full Fixtures Manchester’s weather forecast & toss prediction According to the forecast, Friday in Manchester might see a little light rain. The teams who batted first have won eight of the twelve games over the past five years at Old Trafford, according to statistics. Therefore, the captain who wins the toss may decide to bat first on this ground. Bottom Line The Jos Buttler-led England ODI team hasn’t been shown their full potential so far. In addition, all-rounder Ben Stokes' retirement will definitely weaken the squad a bit. However, England have produced plenty of quality limited-overs cricketers in recent years and they will find a suitable replacement for Stokes. The England camp will be eager to see a solid performance from their players in order to level the ENG vs SA 2022 ODI Series. On the other hand, the South African side is full of confidence after their dominating victory over England in the series-opener. The momentum is currently in South Africa’s favour. It will be a good chance for the Proteas team to clinch the series with a game in hand as England are going through a transitional period. Read ICC T20 World Cup 2022: How Hard is Bangladesh’s Group 2?