🔗 Share this article I Would Be Licking My Lips Bowling to 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, one questions what scars will be inflicted upon the England team. How will they respond for the remaining series? Unexpected Turnaround I do not think anyone anticipated what happened on the weekend. When you examine the number of overs required to finish the game, it was the longest format on fast forward. England were clearly dominant at lunch on the following day, leading by 105 runs with most wickets in hand. The pitch was still offering assistance. It looked extremely difficult for Australia to get back into the match. Shot Selection Woes From that point, England's choice of strokes was their big undoing. The Australian bowler put in probably his worst performance in an Australia shirt in the first innings, then completely reversed in the subsequent innings to be the driving force for the recovery. England's batsmen were out trying to hit balls outside off stump, in the air, towards cover region. Attempting runs off those deliveries, with those shots, is the precise action you just should avoid as a batter in Australia. Adjustment Problems It showed that England had failed to complete their homework, are unable to adapt or are unwilling 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 their coach, they can be pretty stubborn when it comes to sticking with that strategy. It is acceptable on sluggish pitches. On the fast, bouncy 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 paceman, I would have always felt in the contest against this England team. I depended on my precision, backing myself to hit the same spot around off stump, with a some bounce and nip. Even if this England team was performing strongly, I'd be eagerly anticipating at the prospect of facing them, knowing one mistake could result in three or four wickets. Quality and Mental Toughness There are occasions when England can be a top-class team. They have good players. Competent cricketers have ability, but great players have the psychological strength and attitude to be adaptable enough for the conditions. They would been stunned at the way events developed at the venue, devastated 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 improve. Pace Attack Issues It was similar with their bowling. England's bowling unit was excellent on the opening day, then lost direction when they were attacked on the second night. In Test cricket, all disciplines require a Plan B. Quite often it seems England have a single approach, then nowhere to go if that fails. 'Where has this come from?' - Starc bowls Root as England lose third wicket in quick succession Brilliant Innings In defense to England's bowlers, they were confronted with one of the great Ashes innings by the Australian batsman. His 69-ball hundred was the second fastest by an Australian man in the historic rivalry, 12 balls behind Adam Gilchrist at the Perth ground 19 years ago – a match I participated in. My former teammate Gilchrist said Head's innings was the better of the two. I concur. Considering the difficulty of the wicket and the context of the game situation, the innings will go down as a highlight of Ashes history. Strategic Decisions It was a courageous move for Australia to promote Head in the lineup for the follow-on. Usman Khawaja has copped it for being unable to open in either innings. He had back spasms after playing golf the day before the Test, but I do not believe the two were linked. When Khawaja failed on the opening day, Australia advanced Marnus Labuschagne and got bogged down. In moving Head, who has the experience 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 next match. I'd like to see them continue the method of attacking play at the top of the order. That could mean continuation at the top, meaning a player such as Beau Webster enters the middle order, or Head could go back to his position and Mitchell Marsh or the keeper could go to the top. It would be difficult for the batsman, but sometimes you have to do what the opposition would find most uncomfortable. Series Outlook After the first Test was controlled by the pace attack, questions arise if the rest of series will be brief, low-run Tests. The venue is pretty much the fastest, bounciest pitch in the global cricket, so the batters should get a little bit of relief from here onward. It is not entirely about the wicket. Credit has to be awarded to the pacemen for delivering the ball in the correct areas consistently. Overall, batters on both sides will need to look at how they were dismissed. Crucial Next Test Now we progress to Brisbane, and the completely distinct day-night conditions for the following match. In the historic series, I was part of the Australia team that dominated England to win 5-0. The rivalry in this country have a tendency of getting away from England quickly. At the moment, England are only 1-0 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 gone once more.