5 reasons why South Africa will beat England at The Oval

#2 England's bizarre approach

Bairstow's horrible step-out shot to Maharaj was evidence of England's poor approach

England had been a well oiled, sturdy Test team under the coaching of Andy Flower a few years ago. But the urgency to step up their limited-overs cricket brought in a plethora of new talent in addition to a radical change in outlook and approach.

While it turned out to be a roaring success in limited-overs cricket, Test cricket seems to have taken a back seat in the meantime.

The rash and brash kind of approach has seeped into their Test game and some of the shots their top order batsmen played at Trent Bridge is best not discussed. South Africa, have meanwhile been traditional but dominating and seem to understand the nuances of Test cricket much more than this bewildered England side.

The hosts need to address this issue soon but changes cannot happen overnight, which puts them in a poor position to fightback at The Oval.