🔗 Share this article I'd Be Licking My Lips Bowling to the English Team - McGrath Published9 minutes ago 4 Comments The Australian team to bounce back and claim victory in the opening Ashes Test as decisively as they did, one questions what psychological damage will be inflicted upon the England team. What are they going to do for the rest of series? Surprising Comeback I believe anyone expected what transpired on the weekend. When you examine the number of overs taken to complete the game, it was the longest format on accelerated pace. England were clearly dominant at the midday break on the second day, 105 ahead with most wickets in hand. The pitch 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 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 catalyst for the recovery. England's batsmen were out trying to hit balls wide of off-stump, in the air, through the covers. Attempting runs off those bowls, with those strokes, is the one thing you just do not do as a batter in Australia. Adjustment Problems It showed that England had failed to complete their homework, are not able to adapt or are reluctant to change approach. There is a lot of talk about England's method, their attacking philosophy. I observed it firsthand during the 2023 Ashes in the UK. Under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum, they can be quite rigid when it comes to adhering to that method. It is acceptable on slow, low pitches. On the quick, lively pitches of Australia it is a approach fraught with danger. If England fail to reconsider, they will face difficulties for the whole series. Pacer's Viewpoint As a paceman, I would have always felt in the game against this England team. I depended on my precision, backing myself to land the identical area around off stump, with a some bounce and nip. Even if this England team was going well, I'd be licking my lips at the prospect of facing them, knowing a single error could result in three or four wickets. Skill and Resilience There are times when England can be a high-quality team. They have talented individuals. Competent cricketers have skill, but great players have the psychological strength and attitude to be flexible enough for the conditions. They would been shellshocked at the way events developed at Perth Stadium, crushed at the way they were beaten. Now we will see what they are made of. Even as a true blue Australian, I somewhat wants to see them change, just to show they can get better. Pace Attack Issues It was almost the same with their pace attack. England's bowling unit was very good on the first evening, then lost the plot when they were attacked on the following day. In the longest format, all disciplines require a Plan B. Frequently it seems England have one method, then no alternatives if that does not work. 'Where has this come from?' - The dismissal as England lose third wicket 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 69-ball hundred was the second quickest by an Australian batsman in Ashes cricket, two overs behind the legendary keeper at the Perth ground 19 years ago – a game I participated in. My old mate Gilchrist said Head's innings was the superior of the two. I concur. Given the difficulty of the wicket and the context of the game circumstances, the innings will be remembered as a highlight of Ashes history. Strategic Decisions It was a courageous move for Australia to elevate Head up the order for the follow-on. Usman Khawaja has copped it for being failing to start in both attempts. He had back spasms after playing golf the previous day the Test, but I don't think the two were linked. When the batsman missed out on the opening day, Australia advanced their number three and got stuck. In moving Head, who has the experience of opening in limited overs, Australia were able to go on offensive to England. Future Considerations Now there is the question of what Australia will do for the next match. I'd like to see them continue the approach of aggression at the top of the order. That could mean continuation at the top, meaning someone like the all-rounder comes into the batting lineup, or Head could go back to his position and Mitchell Marsh or Josh Inglis could go to the top. It would be difficult for the batsman, but occasionally you have to do what the rival team would find most uncomfortable. Series Outlook After the opening match was dominated by the pace attack, some are wondering if the remaining series will be short, low-scoring Tests. Perth Stadium is essentially the quickest, liveliest pitch in the global cricket, so the batters should get a some relief from here onward. It is not entirely about the pitch. Credit has to be awarded to the pacemen for getting the ball in the correct areas consistently. Overall, batsmen on both sides will need to analyze how they got themselves out. Pivotal Match Now we progress to the next venue, and the vastly different day-night conditions for the following match. In 2006-07, I was part of the national side that overwhelmed England to win 5-0. The rivalry in this nation have a tendency of getting away from England rapidly. At the moment, England are just one match down. There would be no recovery from two down, which is why the venue is such a crucial game. They must adapt, or the historic urn will be lost once more.