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, you wonder what psychological damage will be inflicted upon the England team.

How will they respond for the rest of series?

Surprising Comeback

I do not think no one expected what happened on Saturday. When you examine the number of overs taken to complete the game, it was the longest format on fast forward.

England were clearly dominant at the midday break on the second day, leading by 105 runs with most wickets in hand. The pitch was still doing plenty. It looked extremely difficult for Australia to get back into the match.

Shot Selection Woes

From that point, England's shot selection was their big undoing. Scott Boland put in probably his worst performance in an Australia shirt in the initial batting, then turned it around in the second to be the catalyst for the recovery.

England's batsmen were out trying to hit balls wide of off-stump, in the air, through the covers.

Trying to score off those bowls, with those strokes, is the precise action you just should avoid as a batter in Australia.

Adaptation Issues

It showed that England had not done their preparation, are unable to adjust or are reluctant to adapt.

There is a lot of talk about England's approach, their aggressive style. I witnessed it up close during the recent series in the UK. Under Ben Stokes and their coach, they can be quite rigid 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 full of danger. If England do not reassess, they will struggle for the whole series.

Pacer's Viewpoint

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

I depended on my precision, backing myself to hit the same spot around off stump, with a some bounce and movement.

Even if this England team was performing strongly, I'd be licking my lips at the prospect of facing them, aware a single error could bring three or four wickets.

Skill and Resilience

There are times when England can be a top-class team. They have talented individuals. Good players have ability, but great players have the psychological strength and attitude to be adaptable enough for the situation.

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

Pace Attack Issues

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

In Test cricket, all aspects require a Plan B. Frequently it seems England have one method, then nowhere to go if that fails.

'Where has this come from?' - The dismissal as England collapse in six balls

Brilliant Innings

In defense to England's pace attack, they were hit by one of the memorable Ashes innings by the Australian batsman.

His 69-ball hundred was the second quickest by an Australian man in the historic rivalry, two overs behind Adam Gilchrist at the Perth ground previously – a match I played in.

My former teammate Gilly said Head's innings was the superior of the two. I concur. Considering the difficulty of the pitch and the context of the match situation, the innings will be remembered as a moment of Ashes history.

Tactical Moves

It was a bold and brave move for Australia to promote the batsman in the lineup for the second innings.

The opener has copped it for being unable to open in either innings. He had back spasms after playing golf the previous day the Test, but I don't think the two were connected.

When Khawaja missed out on day one, Australia promoted their number three and got stuck.

In moving the aggressive batsman, who has the confidence of opening in white-ball cricket, Australia were able to go on offensive to England.

Future Considerations

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

That could mean continuation at the top, meaning someone like the all-rounder enters the middle order, or return to number five and the all-rounder or the keeper could move to the top. It would be tough on Khawaja, but sometimes you have to do what the opposition would find most uncomfortable.

Series Outlook

After the opening match was controlled by the pace attack, questions arise if the rest of series will be short, low-scoring Tests.

Perth Stadium is pretty much the quickest, liveliest pitch in the world, so the batters should get a some relief 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 so often. Overall, batsmen on each team will need to analyze how they were dismissed.

Pivotal Match

Now we progress to the next venue, and the completely distinct twilight conditions for the following match.

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

At the moment, England are only 1-0 down. There would be no coming back from two down, which is why Brisbane is such a massive game.

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

Suzanne Russell
Suzanne Russell

A passionate writer and storyteller with over a decade of experience in crafting engaging narratives and mentoring aspiring authors.