I Would Be Licking My Lips Facing England - Glenn McGrath
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The Australian team to bounce back and claim victory in the opening Ashes Test so convincingly as they did, one questions what psychological damage will be left on the England team.
What are they going to do for the rest of series?
Surprising Comeback
I do not think no one anticipated what happened on the weekend. When you look at the quantity of deliveries required to finish the game, it was the longest format on fast forward.
England were clearly dominant at lunch on the following day, 105 ahead with nine wickets in hand. The playing surface was still offering assistance. It looked so tough for Australia to re-enter the match.
Batting Mistakes
From that moment, England's shot selection was their major downfall. Scott Boland put in arguably his poorest performance in an Australia shirt in the initial batting, then completely reversed in the subsequent innings to be the catalyst for the recovery.
England's batters were out trying to hit balls outside off stump, on the up, through the covers.
Attempting runs off those deliveries, with those strokes, is the one thing you just should avoid as a batsman in Australia.
Adaptation Issues
It demonstrated that England had not done their preparation, are not able to adjust or are unwilling to adapt.
There is a lot of talk about England's approach, their aggressive style. I observed it firsthand during the recent series in the UK. Under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum, they can be quite rigid when it comes to sticking with that method.
It is acceptable 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 struggle for the whole series.
Pacer's Viewpoint
As a paceman, I would have always felt in the game against this England team.
I relied on my accuracy, backing myself to hit the identical area on or outside off stump, with a some bounce and nip.
Even if this England team was going well, I'd be licking my lips at the prospect of facing them, knowing one mistake could bring 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 mindset to be adaptable enough for the conditions.
They would been shellshocked at the way things unfolded at the venue, 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.
Bowling Concerns
It was similar 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. Quite often it seems England have a single approach, then no alternatives if that fails.
'Where has this come from?' - The dismissal as England collapse in quick succession
Head's Masterclass
In defense to England's pace attack, they were confronted with one of the memorable 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 game I participated in.
My former teammate 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 situation, Head's knock will be remembered as a moment of cricket lore.
Strategic Decisions
It was a bold and brave move for Australia to elevate the batsman in the lineup for the second innings.
The opener has faced criticism for being failing to start in both attempts. He had muscle issues after playing the sport the day before the Test, but I don't think the two were connected.
When Khawaja missed out on day one, Australia advanced Marnus Labuschagne and got bogged down.
In moving the aggressive batsman, who has the confidence of starting in white-ball cricket, Australia were able to go on offensive to England.
Future Considerations
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 aggression at the beginning.
That could mean Head remains, meaning a player such as the all-rounder comes into the middle order, or Head could go back to number five and Mitchell Marsh or the keeper could move to the top. It would be tough on 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, questions arise if the rest of series will be brief, low-run Tests.
The venue is pretty much the quickest, liveliest pitch in the world, so the batters should get a little bit of respite from now on.
It is not entirely about the pitch. Credit has to be given to the bowlers for getting the ball in the right place so often. In general, batters on both sides will need to look at how they were dismissed.
Pivotal Match
Now we move on to Brisbane, and the vastly different twilight conditions for the second Test.
In 2006-07, I was a member of the Australia team that overwhelmed England to win 5-0. The rivalry in this nation have a tendency of slipping from England quickly.
At the moment, 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 historic urn will be lost again.
