🔗 Share this article I'd Be Licking My Lips Facing England - Glenn McGrath Published9 minutes ago 4 Comments The Australian team to fight back and win 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 anyone anticipated what transpired on the weekend. When you look at the quantity of deliveries taken to finish 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 pitch was still doing plenty. It looked so tough for Australia to get back into the match. Batting Mistakes From that point, England's shot selection was their big undoing. Scott Boland put in probably his worst performance in an national colors in the initial batting, then turned it around in the subsequent innings to be the driving force for the recovery. England's batters were out trying to hit balls wide of off-stump, in the air, towards cover region. Trying to score off those bowls, with those strokes, is the one thing you just should avoid as a batter in Australia. Adaptation Issues It showed that England had failed to complete their homework, are not able to adjust or are unwilling to change approach. There is much discussion about England's approach, their attacking philosophy. I observed it up close during the 2023 Ashes in the UK. Under Ben Stokes and their coach, they can be pretty stubborn when it comes to sticking with that strategy. It is acceptable on sluggish pitches. On the quick, lively pitches of Australia it is a approach full of danger. If England do not reassess, they will face difficulties for the entire series. Bowling Perspective As a bowler, I would have consistently believed in the contest against this England team. I relied on my precision, having confidence to land the same spot around off stump, with a bit of bounce and nip. Even if this England team was going well, I'd be eagerly anticipating at the idea of facing them, knowing a single error could bring 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 mindset to be flexible enough for the situation. They would been shellshocked at the way events developed at Perth Stadium, 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 improve. Pace Attack Issues It was almost the same with their pace attack. England's bowling unit was excellent on the first evening, then lost direction when they were put under pressure on the following day. In the longest format, all aspects require a backup strategy. Frequently it feels like England have one method, then no alternatives if that does not work. 'Where has this come from?' - Starc bowls Root as England lose third wicket in quick succession Brilliant Innings In defense to England's pace attack, they were confronted with one of the memorable Ashes innings by Travis Head. His 69-ball hundred was the second fastest by an Australian man in Ashes cricket, 12 balls behind the legendary keeper at the Perth ground 19 years ago – a game I played in. My former teammate Gilchrist said Head's innings was the better of the two. I concur. Given the challenging nature of the wicket and the context of the game circumstances, the innings will be remembered as a moment of cricket lore. Strategic Decisions It was a courageous move for Australia to promote the batsman up the order for the second innings. The opener has copped it for being failing to start in either innings. He had muscle issues after playing golf the previous day the Test, but I do not believe the two were linked. When Khawaja failed on the opening day, Australia advanced Marnus Labuschagne and got stuck. In promoting Head, who has the confidence of starting in white-ball cricket, Australia were able to take the attack 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 number five and the all-rounder or Josh Inglis could go to the opening. It would be difficult for the batsman, but occasionally you have to do what the opposition would find most challenging. Tournament Perspective After the opening match was dominated by the pace attack, questions arise if the remaining series will be short, low-scoring Tests. Perth Stadium is pretty much the fastest, bounciest pitch in the world, so the batsmen should get a some relief from here onward. It is not all about the wicket. Recognition has to be given to the pacemen for getting the ball in the right place consistently. Overall, batters on each team will need to look at how they were dismissed. Crucial Next Test Now we move on to Brisbane, and the completely distinct twilight conditions for the second Test. In 2006-07, I was a member of the national side that dominated England to achieve 5-0. Ashes series in this country have a habit of slipping from England quickly. At the moment, England are only 1-0 down. There would be no coming back from two down, which is why the venue is such a crucial game. They need to adjust, or the Ashes will be gone once more.