🔗 Share this article I Would Be Licking My Lips Bowling to England - Glenn McGrath Published9 minutes ago 4 Comments The Australian team to bounce back and claim victory in the first Ashes Test so convincingly as they did, one questions what scars will be left on the England team. What are they going to do for the rest of series? Surprising Comeback I believe anyone expected what happened on Saturday. When you examine the number of overs taken to complete the game, it was the longest format on accelerated pace. England were well on top at lunch on the following day, 105 ahead with nine wickets in hand. The playing surface was still doing plenty. It looked extremely difficult for Australia to re-enter the match. Batting Mistakes From that moment, England's choice of strokes was their big undoing. Scott Boland put in arguably his poorest performance in an Australia shirt in the first innings, then turned it around in the subsequent innings to be the driving force for the recovery. England's batters were out attempting to strike balls outside off stump, on the up, towards cover region. Trying to score off those deliveries, with those shots, is the precise action you just should avoid as a batsman in Australia. Adaptation Issues It demonstrated that England had failed to complete their homework, are not able to adjust or are reluctant to change approach. There is a lot of talk about England's approach, their aggressive style. I observed it up close during the 2023 Ashes in the UK. Under Ben Stokes 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 full of danger. If England do not reassess, they will face difficulties for the whole series. Pacer's Viewpoint As a paceman, I would have consistently believed in the contest against this England team. I relied on my accuracy, having confidence to hit the identical area around off stump, with a bit of bounce and nip. Even if this England team was performing strongly, I'd be licking my lips at the idea of facing them, aware one mistake could result in three or four wickets. Skill and Resilience There are occasions when England can be a high-quality team. They have talented individuals. Competent cricketers have skill, but exceptional athletes have the psychological strength and mindset to be flexible enough for the conditions. They would been shellshocked at the way events developed at the venue, devastated at the way they were defeated. Now we will see what they are capable of. Even as a loyal Australian, I somewhat wants to see them adapt, just to show they can get better. Bowling Concerns It was similar with their bowling. England's attack was very good on the opening day, then lost the plot when they were put under pressure on the following day. In Test cricket, all disciplines require a backup strategy. Frequently it seems England have a single approach, 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 fairness to England's bowlers, they were confronted with one of the great Ashes innings by Travis Head. His 69-ball hundred was the second quickest by an Australian man in the historic rivalry, 12 balls behind Adam Gilchrist at the Waca 19 years ago – a game I played in. My former teammate Gilly said the performance was the superior of the two. I agree. Given the challenging nature of the pitch and the context of the game circumstances, the innings will go down as a moment of cricket lore. Tactical Moves It was a bold and brave move for Australia to elevate Head up the order for the follow-on. Usman Khawaja has faced criticism for being failing to start in either innings. He had back spasms after playing golf the previous day the Test, but I do not believe the two were linked. When Khawaja missed out on the opening day, Australia advanced their number three and got bogged down. In promoting the aggressive batsman, who has the confidence of opening in white-ball cricket, 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 stick with the approach of attacking play at the beginning. That could mean Head remains, meaning someone like the all-rounder enters the middle order, or return to number five and Mitchell Marsh or the keeper could go to the top. It would be difficult for Khawaja, but occasionally you have to do what the opposition would find most challenging. Series Outlook After the opening match was dominated by the bowlers, some are wondering if the rest of series will be brief, low-run Tests. The venue is pretty much the fastest, bounciest pitch in the world, so the batters should get a some respite from here onward. It is not all about the wicket. Recognition has to be awarded to the pacemen for getting the ball in the correct areas consistently. Overall, batters on both sides will need to look at how they got themselves out. Crucial Next Test Now we move on to the next venue, and the vastly different day-night conditions for the following match. In the historic series, I was a member of the Australia team that overwhelmed England to win 5-0. The rivalry in this country have a tendency of slipping from England quickly. 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 massive game. They need to adjust, or the historic urn will be lost once more.