🔗 Share this article I Would Be Salivating Bowling to the English Team - McGrath Published9 minutes ago 4 Comments For Australia to bounce back and win the opening Ashes Test so convincingly as they did, one questions what scars will be inflicted upon the England team. How will they respond for the remaining series? Unexpected Turnaround I do not think anyone anticipated what happened on Saturday. When you examine the number of overs taken to complete the game, it was Test cricket on fast forward. England were clearly dominant at lunch on the following day, 105 ahead with most wickets in hand. The playing surface was still doing plenty. It looked extremely difficult for Australia to re-enter the match. Batting Mistakes From that point, 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 turned it around in the subsequent innings to be the catalyst for the recovery. England's batters were out attempting to strike balls wide of off-stump, in the air, through the covers. Trying to score off those bowls, with those shots, is the precise action you just should avoid as a batter in Australia. Adjustment Problems It showed that England had not done their homework, are unable to adapt or are unwilling to adapt. There is much discussion about England's approach, their attacking philosophy. I witnessed it up close during the 2023 Ashes in the UK. Under their captain and their coach, they can be pretty stubborn when it comes to adhering to that method. It is fine 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 whole series. Bowling Perspective As a bowler, I would have consistently believed in the game against this England team. I depended on my precision, having confidence to land 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 prospect of bowling to them, knowing one mistake could bring multiple wickets. Skill and Resilience There are times when England can be a high-quality team. They have good players. Competent cricketers have skill, but exceptional athletes have the psychological strength and attitude to be flexible enough for the conditions. They would been stunned at the way events developed at the venue, devastated at the way they were defeated. 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 get better. Pace Attack Issues It was almost the same with their pace attack. England's attack was excellent on the first evening, then lost the plot when they were put under pressure on the second night. In the longest format, all disciplines require a backup strategy. Frequently it seems England have one method, then no alternatives if that does not work. 'Where has this come from?' - Starc bowls Root as England lose third wicket in six balls Head's Masterclass In fairness to England's pace attack, they were confronted with one of the great Ashes innings by the Australian batsman. His 69-ball hundred was the second quickest by an Australian batsman in Ashes cricket, 12 balls behind Adam Gilchrist at the Waca previously – a match I participated in. My old mate Gilchrist said Head's innings was the better of the two. I agree. Given the difficulty of the pitch and the context of the match circumstances, Head's knock will be remembered as a highlight of Ashes history. Strategic Decisions It was a bold and brave move for Australia to elevate the batsman in the lineup for the second innings. Usman Khawaja has copped it for being failing to start in both attempts. He had muscle issues after playing golf the previous day the Test, but I don't think the two were linked. When Khawaja missed out on day one, Australia promoted Marnus Labuschagne and got stuck. In moving the aggressive batsman, who has the experience of opening in white-ball cricket, Australia were able to take the attack to England. Future Considerations 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 Head remains, meaning a player such as the all-rounder comes into the middle order, or Head could go back to number five and Mitchell Marsh or Josh Inglis could go to the top. It would be tough on Khawaja, but sometimes you have to do what the rival team would find most challenging. Series Outlook After the first Test was controlled by the bowlers, some are wondering if the remaining series will be short, low-scoring Tests. Perth Stadium is essentially the fastest, bounciest pitch in the world, so the batters should get a some relief from now on. It is not entirely about the wicket. Credit has to be awarded to the pacemen for delivering the ball in the right place so often. In general, batsmen on each team will need to analyze how they got themselves out. Crucial Next Test Now we move on to Brisbane, and the completely distinct twilight conditions for the second Test. In the historic series, I was a member of the national side that dominated England to achieve 5-0. Ashes series in this country 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 the venue is such a massive game. They must adapt, or the Ashes will be gone again.