I'd Be Salivating Bowling to England - McGrath
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For Australia to bounce back and claim victory in the first Ashes Test so convincingly as they did, one questions what psychological damage will be left on the England team.
What are they going to do for the remaining series?
Unexpected Turnaround
I believe anyone expected what transpired on the weekend. When you examine the number of overs required to finish the game, it was the longest format on fast forward.
England were clearly dominant at the midday break on the following day, 105 ahead with most wickets in hand. The pitch was still offering assistance. It looked extremely difficult for Australia to get back into the match.
Shot Selection Woes
From that point, England's choice of strokes was their big undoing. The Australian bowler put in arguably his poorest performance in an Australia shirt in the first innings, then completely reversed in the subsequent innings to be the driving force for the recovery.
England's batters were out attempting to strike balls outside off stump, in the air, through the covers.
Attempting runs off those deliveries, with those shots, is the one thing you just should avoid as a batsman in Australia.
Adaptation Issues
It demonstrated that England had not done their homework, are not able to adjust or are unwilling to change approach.
There is a lot of talk about England's approach, their attacking philosophy. I observed it up close during the recent series in the UK. Under Ben Stokes and their coach, they can be pretty stubborn when it comes to adhering to that method.
It is acceptable on sluggish pitches. On the fast, bouncy pitches of Australia it is a approach full of danger. If England fail to reconsider, they will struggle for the whole series.
Bowling Perspective
As a paceman, I would have consistently believed in the game against this England team.
I depended on my precision, backing myself to land the same spot around off stump, with a some bounce and movement.
Even if this England team was going well, I'd be licking my lips at the idea of bowling to them, knowing a single error could result in multiple wickets.
Skill and Resilience
There are times when England can be a high-quality team. They have talented individuals. Good players have skill, but exceptional athletes have the mental toughness and attitude to be adaptable enough for the situation.
They would been shellshocked at the way things unfolded at Perth Stadium, devastated at the way they were beaten. Now we will see what they are capable of. Even as a loyal Australian, part of me wants to see them adapt, just to show they can improve.
Bowling Concerns
It was almost the same with their pace attack. England's attack was excellent on the opening day, then lost direction when they were attacked on the second night.
In the longest format, all aspects require a Plan B. Quite often it feels like England have a single approach, then no alternatives if that does not work.
'Where has this come from?' - Starc bowls Root as England collapse in quick succession
Head's Masterclass
In fairness to England's pace attack, they were hit by one of the great Ashes innings by Travis Head.
His century off 69 deliveries was the second fastest by an Australian batsman in the historic rivalry, two overs behind Adam Gilchrist at the Perth ground 19 years ago – a match I participated in.
My old mate Gilly said the performance was the superior of the two. I concur. Given the challenging nature of the pitch and the situation of the game situation, Head's knock will go down as a moment of cricket lore.
Strategic Decisions
It was a bold and brave move for Australia to elevate the batsman up the order for the second innings.
Usman Khawaja has copped it for being unable to open in both attempts. He had muscle issues after playing the sport the day before the Test, but I do not believe the two were connected.
When Khawaja failed on the opening day, Australia promoted their number three and got bogged down.
In moving Head, who has the confidence of starting in white-ball cricket, Australia were able to go on offensive to England.
Upcoming Decisions
Now there is the issue of what Australia will do for the next match. I'd like to see them continue the method of aggression at the beginning.
That could mean continuation at the top, meaning someone like Beau Webster enters the batting lineup, or Head could go back to number five and Mitchell Marsh or Josh Inglis could go to the opening. It would be difficult for the batsman, but occasionally you have to do what the rival team would find most challenging.
Series Outlook
After the first Test was dominated by the pace attack, some are wondering if the remaining series will be brief, low-run Tests.
Perth Stadium is essentially the fastest, bounciest pitch in the world, so the batsmen should get a some respite from now on.
It is not all about the pitch. Recognition has to be awarded 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 got themselves out.
Pivotal Match
Now we progress to Brisbane, and the vastly different twilight conditions for the following match.
In 2006-07, I was a member of the Australia team that overwhelmed England to win 5-0. Ashes series in this nation have a habit of slipping from England rapidly.
At the present, England are just one match down. There would be no coming back from two down, which is why Brisbane is such a crucial game.
They need to adjust, or the historic urn will be lost again.