🔗 Share this article I Would Be Licking My Lips Facing the English Team - McGrath Published9 minutes ago 4 Comments The Australian team to fight back and claim victory in the first Ashes Test so convincingly as they did, you wonder what scars will be inflicted upon the England team. How will they respond for the rest of series? Unexpected Turnaround I believe anyone anticipated what happened on the weekend. When you examine the quantity of deliveries required to finish the game, it was Test cricket on fast forward. England were well on top at the midday break on the following day, 105 ahead with most wickets in hand. The playing surface was still offering assistance. It looked extremely difficult for Australia to get back into the match. Shot Selection Woes From that moment, England's shot selection was their big undoing. Scott Boland put in arguably his poorest performance in an national colors in the first innings, then turned it around in the second to be the catalyst for the comeback. England's batters were out attempting to strike balls wide of off-stump, in the air, through the covers. Attempting runs off those bowls, with those strokes, is the precise action you just do not do as a batter in Australia. Adaptation Issues It demonstrated that England had failed to complete their homework, are not able to adjust or are reluctant to adapt. There is a lot of talk about England's method, their attacking philosophy. I observed it up close during the recent series in the UK. Under Ben Stokes and their coach, they can be pretty stubborn when it comes to adhering to that method. It is fine on slow, low pitches. On the fast, bouncy pitches of Australia it is a approach fraught with 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 contest against this England team. I depended on my accuracy, having confidence to land the identical area around off stump, with a bit of bounce and nip. Even if this England team was performing strongly, I'd be eagerly anticipating at the idea of bowling to them, aware one mistake could result in three or four wickets. Quality and Mental Toughness There are times when England can be a high-quality team. They have good players. Good players have skill, 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 Perth Stadium, crushed at the way they were defeated. 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. Bowling Concerns It was almost the same with their bowling. England's attack was excellent on the opening day, then lost the plot when they were put under pressure on the second night. In Test cricket, all disciplines require a backup strategy. Quite often it seems England have one method, then no alternatives if that fails. 'Where has this come from?' - Starc bowls Root as England collapse in six balls Head's Masterclass In fairness to England's pace attack, they were hit by one of the great Ashes innings by Travis Head. His century off 69 deliveries was the second fastest by an Australian man in Ashes cricket, two overs behind the legendary keeper at the Perth ground previously – a match I played in. My old mate Gilly said Head's innings was the better of the two. I concur. Considering the difficulty of the wicket and the situation of the match circumstances, the innings will be remembered as a highlight of Ashes history. Strategic Decisions It was a courageous move for Australia to elevate the batsman in the lineup for the follow-on. Usman Khawaja has faced criticism for being failing to start in both attempts. He had back spasms after playing the sport the previous day the Test, but I do not believe the two were connected. When Khawaja missed out on day one, Australia promoted Marnus Labuschagne and got bogged down. In moving Head, who has the confidence of opening in limited overs, Australia were able to go on offensive 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 approach of aggression at the beginning. That could mean Head remains, meaning a player such as the all-rounder enters the middle order, or return to his position and the all-rounder or the keeper could move to the top. It would be difficult for Khawaja, but occasionally you have to do what the opposition would find most uncomfortable. Tournament Perspective After the opening match was dominated by the bowlers, some are wondering if the rest of series will be short, low-scoring Tests. The venue is essentially the fastest, bounciest pitch in the world, so the batters should get a little bit of respite from here onward. It is not entirely about the wicket. Recognition has to be given to the bowlers for getting the ball in the right place consistently. In general, batsmen on each team will need to analyze how they got themselves out. Crucial Next Test Now we progress to the next venue, and the completely distinct twilight conditions for the second Test. In 2006-07, I was part of the national side that overwhelmed England to win 5-0. The rivalry in this country have a habit of slipping from England quickly. At the moment, 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 Ashes will be lost once more.