🔗 Share this article I'd Be Salivating Bowling to England - Glenn McGrath Published9 minutes ago 4 Comments For Australia to bounce back and win the opening Ashes Test as decisively as they did, you wonder what scars will be inflicted upon the England team. How will they respond for the rest of series? Unexpected Turnaround I believe anyone expected what transpired on Saturday. When you look at the quantity of deliveries taken to complete the game, it was the longest format on fast forward. England were well on top at the midday break on the second day, leading by 105 runs with nine wickets in hand. The playing surface was still offering assistance. It looked extremely difficult for Australia to re-enter the match. Batting Mistakes From that moment, England's shot selection was their major downfall. Scott Boland put in probably his worst performance in an Australia shirt in the initial batting, then completely reversed in the second to be the catalyst for the comeback. England's batsmen were out attempting to strike balls outside off stump, on the up, towards cover region. Trying to score off those deliveries, with those strokes, is the one thing you just should avoid as a batter in Australia. Adjustment Problems It demonstrated that England had not done their homework, are not able to adapt or are reluctant to change approach. There is much discussion about England's method, 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 method. It is fine on sluggish pitches. On the fast, bouncy pitches of Australia it is a approach full of danger. If England do not reassess, they will struggle for the whole series. Pacer's Viewpoint As a bowler, I would have always felt in the contest against this England team. I relied on my accuracy, backing myself to hit the same spot around off stump, with a bit of bounce and nip. Even if this England team was performing strongly, I'd be licking my lips at the prospect of facing them, aware one mistake could bring three or four wickets. Quality and Mental Toughness There are occasions when England can be a high-quality team. They have good players. Good players have ability, but exceptional athletes have the psychological strength and attitude to be adaptable enough for the situation. They would been shellshocked at the way events developed at the venue, crushed at the way they were defeated. Now we will see what they are made of. Even as a loyal Australian, I somewhat wants to see them change, just to show they can improve. Bowling Concerns It was similar with their bowling. England's attack was excellent on the first evening, then lost the plot when they were attacked on the following day. In the longest format, all disciplines require a Plan B. Frequently it feels like 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 Head's Masterclass In fairness to England's bowlers, they were confronted with one of the memorable Ashes innings by the Australian batsman. His century off 69 deliveries was the second fastest by an Australian man in the historic rivalry, 12 balls behind the legendary keeper at the Perth ground previously – a game I participated in. My old mate Gilchrist said the performance was the superior of the two. I concur. Given the challenging nature of the pitch and the context of the match circumstances, the innings will go down as a highlight of Ashes history. Tactical Moves It was a bold and brave move for Australia to elevate Head up the order for the second innings. The opener has faced criticism for being failing to start 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 the batsman failed on day one, Australia advanced their number three and got stuck. In moving the aggressive batsman, who has the experience of starting in limited overs, 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 stick with the approach of attacking play at the beginning. That could mean continuation at the top, meaning a player such as the all-rounder comes into the middle order, or return to number five and the all-rounder or Josh Inglis could move to the top. It would be difficult for Khawaja, but sometimes you have to do what the opposition would find most uncomfortable. Series Outlook After the opening match was dominated by the pace attack, some are wondering if the remaining series will be brief, low-run Tests. The venue is essentially the quickest, liveliest pitch in the global cricket, so the batsmen should get a little bit of relief from now on. It is not entirely about the wicket. Credit has to be awarded to the pacemen for getting the ball in the right place consistently. Overall, batters on both sides will need to analyze how they were dismissed. Crucial Next Test Now we progress to Brisbane, and the vastly different twilight conditions for the following match. In 2006-07, I was part of the national side that overwhelmed England to achieve 5-0. Ashes series in this nation have a habit of getting away from England quickly. At the moment, England are just one match down. There would be no coming back from 2-0, which is why Brisbane is such a crucial game. They need to adjust, or the historic urn will be lost once more.