“Not sure about that move”: Michael Vaughan censures South Africa for leaving out Marco Jansen in 2nd Test at Old Trafford

Michael Vaughan censures South Africa: The only change at the toss today hasn’t gone down well with the former English captain.

During the first day of the second Test of South Africa’s tour of England 2022 in Manchester, South Africa captain Dean Elgar won the toss and chose to bat.

“To get a win at Lord’s was very special, but that’s in the past now,” Elgar told Sky Sports at the toss. The only change for the Proteas has come in the form of spinner Simon Harmer replacing fast bowler Marco Jansen in the Playing XI.

Looking to field first in this match at Old Trafford, England captain Ben Stokes was pretty contended with the toss despite losing it. “The team ethos is bigger than the individual goal,” Stokes told Sky Sports at the toss. “Keep trying to put their team under as much pressure as we can. We’ve got a chance here to come back stronger.”

Having announced their Playing XI on the eve of the match yesterday itself, England have played pacer Ollie Robinson for Matthew Potts. Robinson, 28, is playing an international match after seven months.

Michael Vaughan censures South Africa for leaving out Marco Jansen in 2nd Test at Old Trafford

Former England captain Michael Vaughan took to social media platform Twitter to express disapproval of South Africa’s only team change for this match.

Vaughan’s logic lied in the usual notion of playing a left-arm pacer to create a rough for an off-spinner. With South Africa playing a second spinner in Harmer in this Test, a left-armer in Jansen would’ve aided in creating a rough for him after bowling from the opposite end.

Not sure about that move !! Surely you would want your left armer for off spinners rough !?? https://t.co/Mx1ay4dqvA

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) August 25, 2022

Harmer, 33, is playing his eighth Test after his career resumed post a seven-year gap earlier this year. Although playing his first Test in England, Harmer has a lot of experience of bowling in these conditions due to him spending numerous years playing County cricket for Essex.

About the author

Dixit Bhargav

Born and brought up in Pathankot, Dixit Bhargav is an engineering and sports management graduate who works as a Cricket Editor at The SportsRush. Having written more than 10,000 articles across more than five years at TSR, his first cricketing memory dates back to 2002 when former India captain Sourav Ganguly had waved his jersey at the historic Lord’s balcony. What followed for an 8-year-old was an instant adulation for both Ganguly and the sport. The optimist in him is waiting for the day when Punjab Kings will win their maiden Indian Premier League title. When not watching cricket, he is mostly found in a cinema hall watching a Punjabi movie.

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