England have to learn how to adapt their aggressive mindset to the unique pace of Test cricket

England were frantic at times and ultimately their aggression cost them at Trent Bridge

England are now in danger of losing the second Test (Getty )

South Africa got the better of day two but it was a day where it became clear that England have to look at their mindset.

For all their success in recent times, some of these players have got to consider they way they are playing and basic situational cricket. In Test cricket you won’t always be able to play the way you want and with that aggressive mindset that has brought this unit so much success in shorter forms of the game.

You have to adapt your game and adapt to situations, anything else isn’t good enough.

It’s fair to say that it was perfect bowling conditions. Trent Bridge usually is but there were good overheads, the lights were on all day and there was a touch less wind than on Friday.

But that doesn’t excuse England playing like the pitch was a minefield.

They were frantic at times and their mentality was wrong. It’s great to see their new, free-flowing and aggressive mindset from talented young cricketers but sometimes you have to work hard for your runs in Test cricket.

South Africa are firmly in the driving seat (Getty)

Joe Root is the real exception. He played aggressively but with control. His innings was excellent on a day when England’s best spell really came with the ball, in Jimmy Anderson’s dangerous morning spell that took 4-4 in 16 deliveries.

Anderson was really good today. He had his best day of the series by far as he pitched it up and swung it both ways, getting away from pitching it short of a length.

England's best moment was when he got Kuhn in the second innings - but they couldn’t build on that early dismissal and South Africa reasserted themselves as the English bowlers continued to bowl too short on this surface.

England allowed South Africa to reassert themselves (Getty)

Now they are at a point where they have bowled a lot of overs. What was the break between Jimmy Anderson celebrating his five-for and going out there again to open up the second innings?

For South Africa’s bowlers this was their best outing of the tour. Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander were outstanding, the latter with the bat too.

Root was unable to single-handedly save England this time (Getty)

A word too for Keshav Maharaj. People didn't expect him to be successful but he got key wickets through the middle order and he's getting some turn which will be a big asset to Faf Du Plessis on his return as captain.

Faf has been a huge positive for them, so necessary, and it was noticeable to see the difference in tactics, decisions and leadership out there.

South Africa, if they can have a solid morning, are favourites now.

Even with a better forecast the surface is going to offer something and they’re in the driving seat to level the series. It’s just the sort of day they needed to wrest back momentum on this tour and it was all so avoidable for England, who need to think about the mentality with which they approached the second day’s cricket.