England and South Africa will face off for a three-match Test series between August 17 and September 8. South Africa, earlier, won the T20I series 2-1, and the ODI series ended with a 1-1 draw. The Proteas will look to carry forward the momentum across formats and break England’s four-match winning streak in Tests.

For England, this will be their third assignment under the leadership of head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes. They whitewashed New Zealand 3-0 in June and won the rescheduled fifth Test match against India in July. And they will need a few more wins to go to the top half of the table in the World Test Championship (WTC).

South Africa, on the other hand, is placed at the top of the WTC table and is playing some of the best cricket in the format. However, they faced a comprehensive defeat in the warm-up game against England Lions, losing by an innings and 56 runs. And going into the series, the visitors will be mindful of the positive brand of cricket, or “Bazball”, that England have adopted over the last couple of months.

Meanwhile, let&#8217;s look at some player battles to watch out for in the series:

1. James Anderson vs Aiden Markram

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-683475" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2022/08/James-Anderson-vs-Aiden-Markram.jpg" alt="James Anderson vs Aiden Markram" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-683475" class="wp-caption-text">James Anderson vs Aiden Markram. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

One of the toughest challenges in Test cricket is facing <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cant-see-anyone-wanting-to-play-test-cricket-after-40-james-anderson/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James Anderson</a> with a brand new Dukes cherry in the first hour of the innings. And it is even more so challenging if it is in the morning on a green top at Lord’s. Even after 19 years since his debut, he looks menacing as ever with the Dukes ball in his hand.

South African opener Aiden Markram will be given the duty to negotiate swing and movement off Anderson and see out the opening hour. This will be his first Test outing in England and it will be a real test of technique, temperament and grit. He has played only one Test match against England and scored 22 runs.

Markram is a talented batter with an elegant technique and composure and the kind of batter a team would want as an opener in English conditions. However, Anderson has been firing on all cylinders, picking up 18 wickets in his last four Test matches at an average of 22.16, and his contest with Markram would be an intriguing one.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-683486" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2022/08/Joe-Root-vs-Kagiso-Rabada.jpg" alt="Joe Root vs Kagiso Rabada" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-683486" class="wp-caption-text">Joe Root vs Kagiso Rabada. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

Joe Root, one of the best batters in the world in Test cricket, is having yet another prolific year. He has scored 927 runs at an average of 61.80 in 2022 and is also number one in the ICC Test Batting Rankings. His contribution is always crucial for the Three Lions.

For <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-teams/south-africa/">South Africa</a>, their number one bowler, Kagiso Rabada will be the one to watch out for. He is the spearhead of the pack and will be expected to get the prized wicket of Root. Rabada has an impressive record of picking up 16 wickets in three Tests in England.

Rabada also got most of his wickets in Tests against the English side, with 52 wickets. He is also currently the fifth-ranked bowler, and his battle against the number one batter in the world will be a mouth-watering contest. The star pacer, however, could miss the first Test match due to an ankle injury.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-683492" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2022/08/Stuart-Broad-vs-Dean-Elgar.jpg" alt="Stuart Broad vs Dean Elgar" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-683492" class="wp-caption-text">Stuart Broad vs Dean Elgar. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

Stuart Broad is yet another veteran pacer in the England lineup who is still going strong after years and delivering for the team. The 35-year-old has picked up 26 wickets in his last six Test matches and was one of the key contributors for Ben Stokes’s side in the 3-0 whitewash against the Kiwis.

Broad will share the new ball along with James Anderson and is yet another bowler who will test the top-order batters with swing and seam. He will look to attack the off-stump of the right-handers and bowl straight to left-handers. He tests the batters, bowling consistently in the corridor of uncertainty.

South African opener <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/dean-elgar-urges-boards-to-give-more-safety-to-players-amid-scheduling-conflicts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dean Elgar</a> will have to tackle the threat that Broad carries with the new ball, and see out the opening session. Elgar is the highest-ranked South African batter in Tests and has a decent record in England, scoring 291 runs in four matches with a top score of 136. His contest against Broad would be an important passage of play for both teams.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-683495" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2022/08/Ben-Stokes-vs-Anrich-Nortje.jpg" alt="Ben Stokes vs Anrich Nortje" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-683495" class="wp-caption-text">Ben Stokes vs Anrich Nortje. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

As always, as it is in any format, the middle phase of the innings will be crucial for both teams. And the England skipper and one of the middle-order batters in the world, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/we-just-concentrate-on-what-we-do-ben-stokes-gives-befitting-reply-to-dean-elgars-bazball-statement/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ben Stokes</a> could face South Africa’s tearaway pacer Anrich Nortje during the innings in the coming Test matches.

Nortje has picked up 18 wickets in four Test matches against the Three Lions, with an average of 27.111 and a five-wicket haul. He has never played in England yet, and it would be fascinating to watch someone like him, who is a hit-the-deck-hard kind of a bowler, bowl in the English conditions.

Stokes, on the hand, has one of the best records against the Proteas, scoring over 1,000 runs and averaging almost 47. In 2022, so far, he has scored 548 runs in nine matches at an average of 68.50 with a hundred and four fifties.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-683484" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2022/08/Jonny-Bairstow-vs-Marco-Jansen.jpg" alt="Jonny Bairstow vs Marco Jansen" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-683484" class="wp-caption-text">Jonny Bairstow vs Marco Jansen. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

Jonny Bairstow is one of the most in-form batters in Test cricket at the moment, and one of the best middle-order batters, to say the least. He has been one of the most influential players in England’s series win over <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-teams/new-zealand/">New Zealand</a> and the win against India at Edgbaston.

Bairstow has a staggering record of scoring 994 runs in his last eight Test matches at an average of 76.46 and a strike rate of 76.22 with six hundreds and one fifty. He is currently among the top-ten batters in the world in the format. However, facing the tall, lanky seamer, Marco Jansen will not be an easy task for the Englishman.

Jansen poses a threat of producing extra bounce with movement to either side of the surface. Since his debut in December 2021, he has already picked up 28 wickets in five Test matches at an average of 20.35 with four five-wicket hauls.

England and South Africa will face off for a three-match Test series between August 17 and September 8. South Africa, earlier, won the T20I series 2-1, and the ODI series ended with a 1-1 draw. The Proteas will look to carry forward the momentum across formats and break England’s four-match winning streak in Tests.
For England, this will be their third assignment under the leadership of head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes. They whitewashed New Zealand 3-0 in June and won the rescheduled fifth Test match against India in July. And they will need a few more wins to go to the top half of the table in the World Test Championship (WTC).
South Africa, on the other hand, is placed at the top of the WTC table and is playing some of the best cricket in the format. However, they faced a comprehensive defeat in the warm-up game against England Lions, losing by an innings and 56 runs. And going into the series, the visitors will be mindful of the positive brand of cricket, or “Bazball”, that England have adopted over the last couple of months.
<h3>Meanwhile, let’s look at some player battles to watch out for in the series:&nbsp;</h3>
<h3>1. James Anderson vs Aiden Markram</h3>
<figure id="attachment_683475" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-683475" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-683475" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2022/08/James-Anderson-vs-Aiden-Markram.jpg" alt="James Anderson vs Aiden Markram" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-683475" class="wp-caption-text">James Anderson vs Aiden Markram. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
One of the toughest challenges in Test cricket is facing <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cant-see-anyone-wanting-to-play-test-cricket-after-40-james-anderson/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James Anderson</a> with a brand new Dukes cherry in the first hour of the innings. And it is even more so challenging if it is in the morning on a green top at Lord’s. Even after 19 years since his debut, he looks menacing as ever with the Dukes ball in his hand.
South African opener Aiden Markram will be given the duty to negotiate swing and movement off Anderson and see out the opening hour. This will be his first Test outing in England and it will be a real test of technique, temperament and grit. He has played only one Test match against England and scored 22 runs.
Markram is a talented batter with an elegant technique and composure and the kind of batter a team would want as an opener in English conditions. However, Anderson has been firing on all cylinders, picking up 18 wickets in his last four Test matches at an average of 22.16, and his contest with Markram would be an intriguing one.
<h3>2. Joe Root vs Kagiso Rabada</h3>
<figure id="attachment_683486" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-683486" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-683486" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2022/08/Joe-Root-vs-Kagiso-Rabada.jpg" alt="Joe Root vs Kagiso Rabada" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-683486" class="wp-caption-text">Joe Root vs Kagiso Rabada. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
Joe Root, one of the best batters in the world in Test cricket, is having yet another prolific year. He has scored 927 runs at an average of 61.80 in 2022 and is also number one in the ICC Test Batting Rankings. His contribution is always crucial for the Three Lions.
For <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-teams/south-africa/">South Africa</a>, their number one bowler, Kagiso Rabada will be the one to watch out for. He is the spearhead of the pack and will be expected to get the prized wicket of Root. Rabada has an impressive record of picking up 16 wickets in three Tests in England.
Rabada also got most of his wickets in Tests against the English side, with 52 wickets. He is also currently the fifth-ranked bowler, and his battle against the number one batter in the world will be a mouth-watering contest. The star pacer, however, could miss the first Test match due to an ankle injury.
<h3>3. Stuart Braod vs Dean Elgar</h3>
<figure id="attachment_683492" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-683492" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-683492" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2022/08/Stuart-Broad-vs-Dean-Elgar.jpg" alt="Stuart Broad vs Dean Elgar" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-683492" class="wp-caption-text">Stuart Broad vs Dean Elgar. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
Stuart Broad is yet another veteran pacer in the England lineup who is still going strong after years and delivering for the team. The 35-year-old has picked up 26 wickets in his last six Test matches and was one of the key contributors for Ben Stokes’s side in the 3-0 whitewash against the Kiwis.
Broad will share the new ball along with James Anderson and is yet another bowler who will test the top-order batters with swing and seam. He will look to attack the off-stump of the right-handers and bowl straight to left-handers. He tests the batters, bowling consistently in the corridor of uncertainty.
South African opener <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/dean-elgar-urges-boards-to-give-more-safety-to-players-amid-scheduling-conflicts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dean Elgar</a> will have to tackle the threat that Broad carries with the new ball, and see out the opening session. Elgar is the highest-ranked South African batter in Tests and has a decent record in England, scoring 291 runs in four matches with a top score of 136. His contest against Broad would be an important passage of play for both teams.
<h3>4. Ben Stokes vs Anrich Nortje</h3>
<figure id="attachment_683495" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-683495" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-683495" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2022/08/Ben-Stokes-vs-Anrich-Nortje.jpg" alt="Ben Stokes vs Anrich Nortje" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-683495" class="wp-caption-text">Ben Stokes vs Anrich Nortje. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
As always, as it is in any format, the middle phase of the innings will be crucial for both teams. And the England skipper and one of the middle-order batters in the world, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/we-just-concentrate-on-what-we-do-ben-stokes-gives-befitting-reply-to-dean-elgars-bazball-statement/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ben Stokes</a> could face South Africa’s tearaway pacer Anrich Nortje during the innings in the coming Test matches.
Nortje has picked up 18 wickets in four Test matches against the Three Lions, with an average of 27.111 and a five-wicket haul. He has never played in England yet, and it would be fascinating to watch someone like him, who is a hit-the-deck-hard kind of a bowler, bowl in the English conditions.
Stokes, on the hand, has one of the best records against the Proteas, scoring over 1,000 runs and averaging almost 47. In 2022, so far, he has scored 548 runs in nine matches at an average of 68.50 with a hundred and four fifties.
<h3>5. Jonny Bairstow vs Marco Jansen</h3>
<figure id="attachment_683484" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-683484" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-683484" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2022/08/Jonny-Bairstow-vs-Marco-Jansen.jpg" alt="Jonny Bairstow vs Marco Jansen" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-683484" class="wp-caption-text">Jonny Bairstow vs Marco Jansen. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
Jonny Bairstow is one of the most in-form batters in Test cricket at the moment, and one of the best middle-order batters, to say the least. He has been one of the most influential players in England’s series win over <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-teams/new-zealand/">New Zealand</a> and the win against India at Edgbaston.
Bairstow has a staggering record of scoring 994 runs in his last eight Test matches at an average of 76.46 and a strike rate of 76.22 with six hundreds and one fifty. He is currently among the top-ten batters in the world in the format. However, facing the tall, lanky seamer, Marco Jansen will not be an easy task for the Englishman.
Jansen poses a threat of producing extra bounce with movement to either side of the surface. Since his debut in December 2021, he has already picked up 28 wickets in five Test matches at an average of 20.35 with four five-wicket hauls.

England and South Africa will face off for a three-match Test series between August 17 and September 8. South Africa, earlier, won the T20I series 2-1, and the ODI series ended with a 1-1 draw. The Proteas will look to carry forward the momentum across formats and break England’s four-match winning streak in Tests.
For England, this will be their third assignment under the leadership of head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes. They whitewashed New Zealand 3-0 in June and won the rescheduled fifth Test match against India in July. And they will need a few more wins to go to the top half of the table in the World Test Championship (WTC).
South Africa, on the other hand, is placed at the top of the WTC table and is playing some of the best cricket in the format. However, they faced a comprehensive defeat in the warm-up game against England Lions, losing by an innings and 56 runs. And going into the series, the visitors will be mindful of the positive brand of cricket, or “Bazball”, that England have adopted over the last couple of months.
<h3>Meanwhile, let&#8217;s look at some player battles to watch out for in the series: </h3>
<h3>1. James Anderson vs Aiden Markram</h3>
<figure id="attachment_683475" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-683475" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-683475" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2022/08/James-Anderson-vs-Aiden-Markram.jpg" alt="James Anderson vs Aiden Markram" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-683475" class="wp-caption-text">James Anderson vs Aiden Markram. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
One of the toughest challenges in Test cricket is facing <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cant-see-anyone-wanting-to-play-test-cricket-after-40-james-anderson/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James Anderson</a> with a brand new Dukes cherry in the first hour of the innings. And it is even more so challenging if it is in the morning on a green top at Lord’s. Even after 19 years since his debut, he looks menacing as ever with the Dukes ball in his hand.
South African opener Aiden Markram will be given the duty to negotiate swing and movement off Anderson and see out the opening hour. This will be his first Test outing in England and it will be a real test of technique, temperament and grit. He has played only one Test match against England and scored 22 runs.
Markram is a talented batter with an elegant technique and composure and the kind of batter a team would want as an opener in English conditions. However, Anderson has been firing on all cylinders, picking up 18 wickets in his last four Test matches at an average of 22.16, and his contest with Markram would be an intriguing one.
<h3>2. Joe Root vs Kagiso Rabada</h3>
<figure id="attachment_683486" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-683486" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-683486" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2022/08/Joe-Root-vs-Kagiso-Rabada.jpg" alt="Joe Root vs Kagiso Rabada" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-683486" class="wp-caption-text">Joe Root vs Kagiso Rabada. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
Joe Root, one of the best batters in the world in Test cricket, is having yet another prolific year. He has scored 927 runs at an average of 61.80 in 2022 and is also number one in the ICC Test Batting Rankings. His contribution is always crucial for the Three Lions.
For <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-teams/south-africa/">South Africa</a>, their number one bowler, Kagiso Rabada will be the one to watch out for. He is the spearhead of the pack and will be expected to get the prized wicket of Root. Rabada has an impressive record of picking up 16 wickets in three Tests in England.
Rabada also got most of his wickets in Tests against the English side, with 52 wickets. He is also currently the fifth-ranked bowler, and his battle against the number one batter in the world will be a mouth-watering contest. The star pacer, however, could miss the first Test match due to an ankle injury.
<h3>3. Stuart Braod vs Dean Elgar</h3>
<figure id="attachment_683492" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-683492" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-683492" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2022/08/Stuart-Broad-vs-Dean-Elgar.jpg" alt="Stuart Broad vs Dean Elgar" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-683492" class="wp-caption-text">Stuart Broad vs Dean Elgar. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
Stuart Broad is yet another veteran pacer in the England lineup who is still going strong after years and delivering for the team. The 35-year-old has picked up 26 wickets in his last six Test matches and was one of the key contributors for Ben Stokes’s side in the 3-0 whitewash against the Kiwis.
Broad will share the new ball along with James Anderson and is yet another bowler who will test the top-order batters with swing and seam. He will look to attack the off-stump of the right-handers and bowl straight to left-handers. He tests the batters, bowling consistently in the corridor of uncertainty.
South African opener <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/dean-elgar-urges-boards-to-give-more-safety-to-players-amid-scheduling-conflicts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dean Elgar</a> will have to tackle the threat that Broad carries with the new ball, and see out the opening session. Elgar is the highest-ranked South African batter in Tests and has a decent record in England, scoring 291 runs in four matches with a top score of 136. His contest against Broad would be an important passage of play for both teams.
<h3>4. Ben Stokes vs Anrich Nortje</h3>
<figure id="attachment_683495" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-683495" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-683495" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2022/08/Ben-Stokes-vs-Anrich-Nortje.jpg" alt="Ben Stokes vs Anrich Nortje" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-683495" class="wp-caption-text">Ben Stokes vs Anrich Nortje. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
As always, as it is in any format, the middle phase of the innings will be crucial for both teams. And the England skipper and one of the middle-order batters in the world, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/we-just-concentrate-on-what-we-do-ben-stokes-gives-befitting-reply-to-dean-elgars-bazball-statement/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ben Stokes</a> could face South Africa’s tearaway pacer Anrich Nortje during the innings in the coming Test matches.
Nortje has picked up 18 wickets in four Test matches against the Three Lions, with an average of 27.111 and a five-wicket haul. He has never played in England yet, and it would be fascinating to watch someone like him, who is a hit-the-deck-hard kind of a bowler, bowl in the English conditions.
Stokes, on the hand, has one of the best records against the Proteas, scoring over 1,000 runs and averaging almost 47. In 2022, so far, he has scored 548 runs in nine matches at an average of 68.50 with a hundred and four fifties.
<h3>5. Jonny Bairstow vs Marco Jansen</h3>
<figure id="attachment_683484" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-683484" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-683484" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2022/08/Jonny-Bairstow-vs-Marco-Jansen.jpg" alt="Jonny Bairstow vs Marco Jansen" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-683484" class="wp-caption-text">Jonny Bairstow vs Marco Jansen. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
Jonny Bairstow is one of the most in-form batters in Test cricket at the moment, and one of the best middle-order batters, to say the least. He has been one of the most influential players in England’s series win over <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-teams/new-zealand/">New Zealand</a> and the win against India at Edgbaston.
Bairstow has a staggering record of scoring 994 runs in his last eight Test matches at an average of 76.46 and a strike rate of 76.22 with six hundreds and one fifty. He is currently among the top-ten batters in the world in the format. However, facing the tall, lanky seamer, Marco Jansen will not be an easy task for the Englishman.
Jansen poses a threat of producing extra bounce with movement to either side of the surface. Since his debut in December 2021, he has already picked up 28 wickets in five Test matches at an average of 20.35 with four five-wicket hauls.

England and South Africa face off for a three-match Test series from August 17.

ENG vs SA: 5 player battles to watch out for in Test series

England will face off South Africa for a three-match Test series at home between August 17 and September 8.