I Would Be Licking My Lips Facing England - McGrath

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For Australia to fight back and claim victory in the first Ashes Test so convincingly as they did, one questions what scars will be left on the England team.

How will they respond for the remaining series?

Surprising Comeback

I believe anyone expected what happened on the weekend. When you look at the number of overs taken to complete the game, it was the longest format on fast forward.

England were well on top at the midday break on the following day, leading by 105 runs with nine wickets in hand. The pitch was still doing plenty. It looked so tough for Australia to re-enter the match.

Batting Mistakes

From that moment, England's shot selection was their major downfall. Scott Boland put in arguably his poorest performance in an Australia shirt in the initial batting, then completely reversed in the second to be the catalyst for the recovery.

England's batsmen were out trying to hit balls outside off stump, on the up, towards cover region.

Attempting runs off those deliveries, with those strokes, is the precise action you just should avoid as a batter in Australia.

Adjustment Problems

It showed that England had failed to complete their homework, are unable to adapt or are reluctant to adapt.

There is much discussion about England's method, their aggressive style. I witnessed it up close during the recent series in the UK. Under their captain and their coach, they can be pretty stubborn when it comes to sticking with that method.

It is acceptable on sluggish pitches. On the quick, lively pitches of Australia it is a approach fraught with danger. If England fail to reconsider, they will struggle for the entire series.

Bowling Perspective

As a bowler, I would have always felt in the contest against this England team.

I relied on my precision, having confidence to hit the same spot on or outside off stump, with a bit of bounce and movement.

Even if this England team was performing strongly, I'd be eagerly anticipating at the idea of bowling to them, knowing one mistake could bring three or four wickets.

Skill and Resilience

There are times when England can be a top-class team. They have talented individuals. Competent cricketers have ability, but great players have the mental toughness and attitude to be adaptable enough for the conditions.

They would been stunned at the way things unfolded at the venue, crushed at the way they were defeated. Now we will see what they are capable of. Even as a true blue Australian, I somewhat wants to see them change, just to show they can get better.

Bowling Concerns

It was similar with their bowling. England's bowling unit was very good on the first evening, then lost the plot when they were put under pressure on the following day.

In the longest format, all disciplines require a backup strategy. Frequently it seems England have a single approach, then nowhere to go if that fails.

'Where has this come from?' - The dismissal as England lose third wicket in six balls

Head's Masterclass

In defense to England's pace attack, they were hit by one of the great Ashes innings by Travis Head.

His 69-ball hundred was the second quickest by an Australian man in Ashes cricket, 12 balls behind the legendary keeper at the Perth ground previously – a match I participated in.

My former teammate Gilchrist said Head's innings was the superior of the two. I concur. Considering the difficulty of the wicket and the context of the match circumstances, Head's knock will go down as a moment of Ashes history.

Tactical Moves

It was a courageous move for Australia to elevate Head up the order for the second innings.

Usman Khawaja has copped it for being unable to open in either innings. He had muscle issues after playing golf the previous day the Test, but I do not believe the two were linked.

When the batsman failed on the opening day, Australia advanced Marnus Labuschagne and got bogged down.

In promoting the aggressive batsman, who has the confidence of starting in limited overs, Australia were able to go on offensive to England.

Upcoming Decisions

Now there is the issue of what Australia will do for the second Test. I'd like to see them continue the method of attacking play at the beginning.

That could mean Head remains, meaning a player such as the all-rounder enters the batting lineup, or Head could go back to his position and the all-rounder or Josh Inglis could move to the opening. It would be difficult for Khawaja, but sometimes you have to do what the opposition would find most uncomfortable.

Tournament Perspective

After the first Test was controlled by the bowlers, some are wondering if the rest of series will be short, low-scoring Tests.

Perth Stadium is pretty much the fastest, bounciest pitch in the global cricket, so the batsmen should get a some relief from now on.

It is not entirely about the pitch. Credit has to be given to the pacemen for getting the ball in the right place consistently. In general, batsmen on both sides will need to analyze how they got themselves out.

Pivotal Match

Now we progress to the next venue, and the completely distinct twilight conditions for the second Test.

In 2006-07, I was a member of the national side that dominated England to achieve 5-0. The rivalry in this country have a tendency of getting away from England quickly.

At the present, England are just one match down. There would be no recovery from two down, which is why Brisbane is such a massive game.

They need to adjust, or the Ashes will be lost once more.

David Jackson
David Jackson

Elara Vance is a digital strategist with over a decade of experience helping businesses optimize their online marketing efforts for measurable growth.