More Test match drama will unfold at the Old Trafford when England take on the men from the Caribbean in the 2nd Test match of the series. The 1st Test ebbed and flowed in either direction before the West Indies secured a comprehensive 4 wickets victory. Now, Jason Holder and his men will look to create history by becoming the first WI outfit to win a Test Series in England since 1988, a whopping gap of 32 years! Can Joe Root's men prevent them from clinching another victory?


Who are the favourites?

Albeit the West Indies beat England in the 1st Test in Southampton, the contest now moves to a ground where England has just lost 2 Test matches since the inception of the 21st Century. They are a formidable outfit, even more with the return of their regular skipper Joe Root and presumably Stuart Broad too. There are many reasons to believe that England will bounce back strongly in the 2nd Test match and salvage some pride. Here are a few reasons-

England has a 6-5 record at the Old Trafford against the West Indies in Tests. However, the erstwhile mighty WI of the 80s and 90s managed to win a majority of them. The 21st Century WI outfit has not had considerable success at this ground in Tests. England has just lost twice in Tests at this ground since 2000.

The pitch and weather conditions will suit England more than the West Indies. A green top with overcast conditions will test the techniques of the WI batsmen. England’s experience on these pitches will prove to be invaluable.

England will look to bring back Stuart Broad who will be an invaluable asset at this ground which traditionally assists pace bowlers more than a majority of grounds in the UK.


Scorecard Predictions for Day 2

If England wins the toss and bat first, they will end up around 350/10 in the 1st innings. The West Indies will be 150/5 at the end of Day 2.

If the West Indies win the toss and bat first, they might score around 290/10 and England will follow it up with 250/5 at the end of Day 2.



Toss Prediction

Expect the captain winning the toss to bat first even if there are some cloud covers and a green top. The average first-innings score is 333. Also, another factor is that the average fourth-innings score is 166 which prompts the skipper winning the toss to bat first and put the opposition under pressure in the last innings.

Match Winning Chances


Expect England to bounce back after the thrashing in Southampton. They will be bolstered by the return of Joe Root and Stuart Broad. They have a slight advantage due to the prevalent conditions in Manchester.

England- 55%

West Indies- 45%