Ever since former New Zealand skipper Brendon McCallum (fondly known as Baz) took command of England’s Test squad their fate in the longest format has changed. From losing a record 10 Tests between February 2021 to March 2022 to winning four successive Tests against two top Test nations in June and July, England’s Test team has come a long way!
Now, the three lions will face off against South Africa in a three-match Test series that starts on the 17th of August. The Test series is also part of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) and the outcome of the series will create a major impact on the WTC points table.
England currently stands in seventh place on the points table but heading into the series, they are a team in form. On the other hand, South Africa is leading the WTC points table with 71.43 points and will look to further extend their lead in the league.
The resurgence of England’s Test team’s credit also goes to world number one Test batter Joe Root and hard-hitting middle-order batter Jonny Bairstow, who is in the form of his life. Root has scored over 2600 runs since the start of 2021 and he is miles ahead of his competitors. On the other hand, Jonny Bairstow is the leading run-scorer in Tests this year in racking up 994 runs from eight matches at an astonishing average of 76.46.
Expectedly, Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow are booked as favourites by bookmaker bet365 to win the Player of the Match in the 1st Test with the odds of 7.50 and 9.00 respectively. England’s Test skipper Ben Stokes also stands at 9.00 along with Bairstow.
Player of the Match for 1st Test Odds
※ Current Odds Date & Time: August 15, 10:00 P.M (GMT)
The South African team, which will be led by Dean Elgar, has also been doing well in Tests lately. They defeated a strong Indian side early this year and leveled the series against New Zealand in away conditions. The fact that they are leading the WTC points table is a testament to their success in this format.
But days before the start of the series, the Proteas received a massive blow. Two of their frontline pacers, Kagiso Rabada and Duanne Olivier, have been ruled out of the series. In their absence, the bulk of the responsibility will lie on the shoulders of Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi and Marco Jansen. These three pacers have shown that they are highly skilled and useful in the English conditions, which favour fast bowling.
Despite being the better-ranked team in Tests, South Africa will start the series as underdogs. This is because England’s Test team has been playing an aggressive brand of cricket and their second-string team defeated South Africa in a warm-up game a couple of days ago. Bookmaker bet365 has booked England as the favourites with the odds of 1.57 and underdogs South Africa are priced at 4.00. The possibility of a drawn series has an odds of 5.50.
England vs. South Africa Test Series Winner Odds (outright)
※ Current Odds Date & Time: August 15, 10:00 P.M (GMT)
The first Test will be played at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m GMT. The second Test will be played at the Emirates Old Trafford Stadium in Manchester on the 29th of August and the final test will be held in London’s the Oval on the 8th of September.
Don’t forget to mark your calendar as the two top teams in world cricket face-off in the toughest format.
