I'd Be Licking My Lips Bowling to England - Glenn McGrath

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The Australian team to fight back and claim victory in the first Ashes Test as decisively as they did, you wonder what scars will be inflicted upon the England team.

How will they respond for the remaining series?

Unexpected Turnaround

I believe no one anticipated what happened on Saturday. When you examine the quantity of deliveries required to complete the game, it was the longest format on fast forward.

England were well on top at the midday break on the following day, 105 ahead with nine wickets in hand. The playing surface was still offering assistance. It looked extremely difficult for Australia to re-enter the match.

Shot Selection Woes

From that moment, England's choice of strokes was their major downfall. The Australian bowler put in arguably his poorest performance in an Australia shirt in the first innings, then completely reversed in the second to be the catalyst for the recovery.

England's batsmen were out attempting to strike balls outside off stump, in the air, towards cover region.

Attempting runs off those deliveries, with those shots, is the one thing you just should avoid as a batsman in Australia.

Adjustment Problems

It demonstrated that England had failed to complete their homework, are not able to adapt or are unwilling to change approach.

There is a lot of talk about England's method, their aggressive style. I witnessed it firsthand during the recent series in the UK. Under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum, they can be quite rigid when it comes to adhering to that strategy.

It is acceptable on sluggish pitches. On the fast, bouncy pitches of Australia it is a method fraught with danger. If England fail to reconsider, they will face difficulties for the whole series.

Bowling Perspective

As a paceman, I would have consistently believed in the contest against this England team.

I relied on my accuracy, having confidence to land the same spot on or outside off stump, with a some bounce and nip.

Even if this England team was performing strongly, I'd be licking my lips at the prospect of bowling to them, knowing one mistake could bring three or four wickets.

Skill and Resilience

There are times when England can be a high-quality team. They have good players. Good players have ability, but great players have the mental toughness and attitude to be flexible enough for the situation.

They would been shellshocked at the way things unfolded at the venue, devastated at the way they were beaten. Now we will see what they are capable of. Even as a loyal 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 opening day, then lost direction when they were attacked on the second night.

In Test cricket, 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

Brilliant Innings

In defense to England's bowlers, they were confronted with 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, two overs behind the legendary keeper at the Waca 19 years ago – a match I played in.

My former teammate Gilchrist said the performance was the superior of the two. I agree. Considering the challenging nature of the pitch and the situation of the game situation, the innings will go down as a highlight of cricket lore.

Tactical Moves

It was a courageous move for Australia to promote Head up the order for the second innings.

The opener has faced criticism for being unable to open in both attempts. He had muscle issues after playing golf the previous day the Test, but I do not believe the two were connected.

When the batsman failed on the opening day, Australia promoted Marnus Labuschagne and got stuck.

In promoting Head, who has the experience of starting in limited overs, Australia were able to go on offensive to England.

Upcoming Decisions

Now there is the issue of what Australia will do for the second Test. I'd like to see them continue the method of aggression at the top of the order.

That could mean continuation at the top, meaning someone like the all-rounder enters the batting lineup, or Head could go back to number five and Mitchell Marsh or the keeper could move to the opening. It would be tough on Khawaja, but occasionally you have to do what the rival team would find most challenging.

Series Outlook

After the opening match was dominated by the pace attack, some are wondering 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 batsmen should get a little bit of respite from here onward.

It is not entirely about the pitch. Credit has to be awarded to the pacemen for delivering the ball in the correct areas consistently. In general, batsmen on both sides will need to look at 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 the historic series, I was a member of the Australia team 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 historic urn will be gone once more.

Kara Ryan
Kara Ryan

An environmental scientist and avid hiker passionate about sharing sustainable practices and nature exploration.