🔗 Share this article I Would Be Licking My Lips Bowling to the English Team - Glenn McGrath Published9 minutes ago 4 Comments For Australia to fight back and win the opening Ashes Test as decisively as they did, you wonder what scars will be left on the England team. What are they going to do for the remaining series? Surprising Comeback I believe no one anticipated what happened on the weekend. When you look at the number of overs required to complete the game, it was Test cricket on fast forward. England were clearly dominant at lunch on the second day, leading by 105 runs with most wickets in hand. The playing surface was still doing plenty. It looked so tough for Australia to get back into the match. Shot Selection Woes From that point, England's shot selection was their big undoing. The Australian bowler put in probably his worst performance in an national colors in the initial batting, then completely reversed in the second to be the driving force for the comeback. England's batsmen were out attempting to strike balls wide of off-stump, on the up, through the covers. Trying to score off those deliveries, with those strokes, is the precise action you just do not do as a batsman in Australia. Adaptation Issues It demonstrated that England had not done their preparation, are unable to adjust or are unwilling to change approach. There is a lot of talk about England's method, their attacking philosophy. I observed it up close during the 2023 Ashes in the UK. Under their captain and their coach, they can be pretty stubborn when it comes to adhering to that method. It is fine 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 entire series. Bowling Perspective As a paceman, 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 some bounce and movement. 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 multiple wickets. Skill and Resilience There are occasions when England can be a top-class team. They have talented individuals. Competent cricketers have skill, but exceptional athletes have the mental toughness and attitude to be flexible enough for the situation. They would been shellshocked at the way things unfolded at Perth Stadium, crushed at the way they were beaten. Now we will see what they are made of. Even as a loyal Australian, part of me wants to see them change, just to show they can get better. Pace Attack Issues It was similar with their pace attack. England's bowling unit was very good on the first evening, then lost direction when they were attacked on the following day. In the longest format, all aspects require a backup strategy. Frequently it seems England have one method, then nowhere to go if that does not work. 'Where has this come from?' - The dismissal as England lose third wicket in six balls 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 batsman in Ashes cricket, 12 balls behind Adam Gilchrist at the Perth ground previously – a match I played in. My former teammate Gilchrist said the performance was the superior of the two. I agree. Given the difficulty of the pitch and the situation of the match circumstances, the innings will be remembered as a moment 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 faced criticism for being unable to open in either innings. 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 their number three and got bogged down. In promoting the aggressive batsman, who has the experience of starting in limited overs, Australia were able to go on offensive 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 attacking play at the top of the order. That could mean Head remains, meaning a player such as the all-rounder enters the middle order, or return to number five and Mitchell Marsh or Josh Inglis could move to the opening. It would be tough on the batsman, but occasionally you have to do what the rival team would find most challenging. Series Outlook After the first Test was controlled by the pace attack, questions arise if the rest of series will be short, low-scoring Tests. Perth Stadium is essentially the quickest, liveliest pitch in the world, so the batsmen should get a little bit of respite from here onward. It is not all about the pitch. Credit has to be given to the bowlers for getting the ball in the correct areas so often. In general, batters on both sides will need to look at how they were dismissed. Crucial Next Test Now we progress to Brisbane, and the vastly different twilight conditions for the second Test. In the historic series, I was a member of the national side that dominated England to achieve 5-0. Ashes series in this country have a tendency of getting away from England rapidly. At the present, England are only 1-0 down. There would be no coming back from 2-0, which is why Brisbane is such a crucial game. They must adapt, or the Ashes will be lost again.