I Would Be Licking My Lips Bowling to England - Glenn McGrath

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The Australian team to fight back and claim victory in the first Ashes Test as decisively as they did, one questions what scars will be inflicted upon the England team.

How will they respond for the rest of series?

Unexpected Turnaround

I believe no one expected what transpired on the weekend. When you examine the number of overs required to complete the game, it was the longest format on accelerated pace.

England were well on top at the midday break on the second day, 105 ahead with nine wickets in hand. The pitch was still doing plenty. It looked so tough for Australia to get back into the match.

Shot Selection Woes

From that moment, England's shot selection was their big undoing. The Australian bowler put in arguably his poorest performance in an national colors in the first innings, then completely reversed in the second to be the catalyst for the recovery.

England's batters were out attempting to strike balls wide of off-stump, in the air, towards cover region.

Trying to score off those deliveries, with those shots, is the one thing you just do not do as a batter in Australia.

Adjustment Problems

It demonstrated that England had not done their homework, are unable to adapt or are unwilling to adapt.

There is a lot of talk about England's approach, their attacking philosophy. I witnessed it up close during the 2023 Ashes in the UK. Under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum, they can be pretty stubborn when it comes to sticking with that strategy.

It is acceptable on sluggish pitches. On the quick, lively pitches of Australia it is a method fraught with danger. If England do not reassess, they will face difficulties for the entire series.

Pacer's Viewpoint

As a paceman, I would have always felt in the game against this England team.

I relied on my accuracy, backing myself to land the same spot around off stump, with a bit of bounce and nip.

Even if this England team was going well, I'd be eagerly anticipating at the idea of facing them, knowing one mistake could result in multiple wickets.

Quality and Mental Toughness

There are occasions when England can be a high-quality team. They have good players. Good players have skill, but great players have the psychological strength and mindset to be flexible enough for the conditions.

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

Bowling Concerns

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

In the longest format, all aspects require a Plan B. Quite often it seems England have a single approach, then nowhere to go if that fails.

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Brilliant Innings

In fairness to England's bowlers, they were confronted with one of the great Ashes innings by the Australian batsman.

His 69-ball hundred was the second fastest by an Australian batsman in Ashes cricket, two overs behind the legendary keeper at the Waca 19 years ago – a game I played in.

My old mate Gilly said the performance was the better of the two. I agree. Considering the challenging nature of the pitch and the context of the game situation, the innings will go down as a moment of cricket lore.

Tactical Moves

It was a bold and brave move for Australia to promote Head up the order for the second innings.

Usman Khawaja has copped it for being unable to open in either innings. He had back spasms after playing golf the day before the Test, but I do not believe the two were connected.

When Khawaja missed out on day one, Australia advanced Marnus Labuschagne and got stuck.

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

Future Considerations

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

That could mean continuation at the top, meaning a player such as Beau Webster comes into the middle order, or return to number five and Mitchell Marsh or Josh Inglis could go to the opening. It would be tough on the batsman, but occasionally you have to do what the opposition would find most challenging.

Series Outlook

After the opening match was dominated by the bowlers, some are wondering if the rest of series will be short, low-scoring Tests.

Perth Stadium is essentially the quickest, liveliest pitch in the global cricket, so the batsmen should get a little bit of relief from here onward.

It is not all about the pitch. Recognition has to be given to the pacemen for delivering the ball in the right place consistently. In general, batters on each team will need to look at how they were dismissed.

Crucial Next Test

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 nation have a tendency of slipping from England quickly.

At the moment, England are just one match down. There would be no recovery from 2-0, which is why Brisbane is such a crucial game.

They must adapt, or the Ashes will be gone once more.

Michelle Morales
Michelle Morales

Lena is a seasoned journalist with a passion for uncovering untold stories and delivering compelling narratives that resonate with readers globally.