🔗 Share this article I'd Be Licking My Lips Bowling to the English Team - Glenn McGrath Published9 minutes ago 4 Comments The Australian team to fight back and claim victory in the first Ashes Test so convincingly as they did, one questions what psychological damage will be left on the England team. How will they respond for the rest of series? Surprising Comeback I do not think no one anticipated what happened on Saturday. When you examine the quantity of deliveries taken to finish the game, it was Test cricket on fast forward. England were well on top at lunch on the following day, 105 ahead 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 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 turned it around in the subsequent innings to be the catalyst for the recovery. England's batters were out attempting to strike 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 preparation, are not able to adapt or are unwilling to adapt. There is much discussion about England's method, their aggressive style. I observed it up close during the recent series in the UK. Under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum, they can be quite rigid 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 approach fraught with danger. If England do not reassess, they will struggle for the entire series. Pacer's Viewpoint As a paceman, I would have always felt in the game against this England team. I relied on my precision, having confidence to hit the identical area on or outside off stump, with a some bounce and nip. Even if this England team was performing strongly, I'd be eagerly anticipating 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 top-class team. They have good players. Good players have skill, but great players have the mental toughness and mindset to be flexible enough for the conditions. They would been stunned at the way events developed at Perth Stadium, crushed at the way they were beaten. Now we will see what they are capable of. Even as a loyal Australian, part of me 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 attack was very good on the opening day, then lost direction when they were put under pressure on the second night. In Test cricket, all disciplines require a backup strategy. Frequently it feels like England have a single approach, then nowhere to go if that fails. 'Where has this come from?' - The dismissal as England lose third wicket in quick succession Brilliant Innings In fairness to England's pace attack, they were hit by one of the great Ashes innings by Travis Head. His century off 69 deliveries was the second quickest by an Australian batsman in Ashes cricket, two overs behind the legendary keeper at the Perth ground previously – a match I participated in. My former teammate Gilchrist said the performance was the superior of the two. I agree. Considering the difficulty of the wicket and the context of the match situation, Head's knock will go down 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 copped it for being unable to open in both attempts. He had back spasms after playing the sport the previous day the Test, but I do not believe the two were linked. When Khawaja missed out on the opening day, Australia promoted Marnus Labuschagne and got stuck. In promoting the aggressive batsman, 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 question of what Australia will do for the second Test. I'd like to see them stick with the method of attacking play at the top of the order. That could mean Head remains, meaning someone like Beau Webster comes into the middle order, or return to number five and the all-rounder or Josh Inglis could go 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 dominated by the pace attack, questions arise if the rest of series will be short, low-scoring Tests. The venue is pretty much the quickest, liveliest pitch in the global cricket, so the batters should get a some relief from here onward. It is not entirely about the wicket. Credit has to be awarded to the bowlers for delivering the ball in the correct areas consistently. In general, batters on each team will need to look at how they got themselves out. Crucial Next Test Now we progress to the next venue, and the completely distinct day-night conditions for the second Test. In the historic series, I was part of the national side that overwhelmed England to achieve 5-0. Ashes series in this country have a habit of slipping from England rapidly. At the moment, England are just one match down. There would be no recovery from 2-0, which is why Brisbane is such a crucial game. They must adapt, or the historic urn will be lost once more.