I'd Be Licking My Lips Bowling to England - Glenn McGrath
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The Australian team to bounce back and win the first Ashes Test as decisively as they did, one questions what psychological damage will be inflicted upon the England team.
How will they respond for the rest of series?
Surprising Comeback
I believe no one anticipated what happened on the weekend. When you examine the quantity of deliveries taken to finish the game, it was Test cricket on fast forward.
England were well on top at the midday break on the second day, 105 ahead with nine wickets in hand. The playing surface was still offering assistance. It looked so tough for Australia to re-enter the match.
Batting Mistakes
From that point, England's shot selection was their major downfall. Scott Boland put in probably his worst performance in an national colors in the initial batting, then turned it around in the second to be the driving force for the comeback.
England's batsmen were out attempting to strike 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.
Adjustment Problems
It showed that England had not done their homework, are unable to adjust or are reluctant to adapt.
There is much discussion about England's method, their attacking philosophy. I observed it up close during the recent series in the UK. Under their captain and Brendon McCullum, they can be pretty stubborn when it comes to adhering to that strategy.
It is fine on slow, low pitches. On the fast, bouncy pitches of Australia it is a method fraught with danger. If England do not reassess, they will struggle for the entire series.
Pacer's Viewpoint
As a bowler, I would have always felt in the game against this England team.
I relied on my accuracy, backing myself to hit the same spot around off stump, with a bit of 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 bring multiple wickets.
Quality and Mental Toughness
There are occasions when England can be a high-quality team. They have talented individuals. Good players have skill, but great players have the mental toughness 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 beaten. 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 almost the same with their bowling. England's bowling unit was excellent on the opening day, then lost the plot when they were attacked on the following day.
In the longest format, all aspects require a backup strategy. Frequently it feels like England have one method, then nowhere to go if that fails.
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Head's Masterclass
In fairness to England's bowlers, they were hit by one of the memorable Ashes innings by the Australian batsman.
His century off 69 deliveries was the second fastest by an Australian man in the historic rivalry, 12 balls behind the legendary keeper at the Perth ground 19 years ago – a game I played in.
My old mate Gilly said Head's innings was the better of the two. I agree. Given the challenging nature of the pitch and the context of the match situation, Head's knock will go down as a moment of cricket lore.
Strategic Decisions
It was a courageous move for Australia to promote Head up the order for the follow-on.
The opener has copped it for being unable to open in either innings. He had back spasms after playing the sport the day before the Test, but I don't think the two were connected.
When the batsman missed out on the opening day, Australia promoted their number three and got stuck.
In moving the aggressive batsman, who has the experience of starting 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 comes into the batting lineup, or Head could go back to number five and Mitchell Marsh or the keeper could go to the top. It would be tough on the batsman, but sometimes you have to do what the opposition would find most challenging.
Tournament Perspective
After the opening match was dominated by the pace attack, some are wondering if the remaining series will be brief, low-run Tests.
Perth Stadium is pretty much the quickest, liveliest pitch in the global cricket, so the batsmen should get a some respite from now on.
It is not entirely about the pitch. Recognition has to be given to the pacemen for getting the ball in the right place consistently. Overall, batsmen on both sides will need to analyze how they got themselves out.
Pivotal Match
Now we move on to the next venue, and the completely distinct day-night conditions for the second Test.
In 2006-07, I was a member of the Australia team that dominated England to win 5-0. The rivalry in this nation have a tendency of slipping from England quickly.
At the present, England are just one match down. There would be no coming back from 2-0, which is why the venue is such a massive game.
They need to adjust, or the historic urn will be lost again.