🔗 Share this article I Would Be Salivating Bowling to England - 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 scars will be left on the England team. How will they respond for the remaining series? Unexpected Turnaround I believe no one anticipated what transpired on the weekend. When you look at the quantity of deliveries required to finish the game, it was Test cricket on accelerated pace. England were well on top at lunch on the following day, leading by 105 runs with nine wickets in hand. The playing surface was still offering assistance. It looked extremely difficult for Australia to get back into the match. Batting Mistakes From that point, England's choice of strokes was their major downfall. The Australian bowler put in arguably his poorest performance in an Australia shirt in the first innings, then completely reversed in the second to be the driving force for the recovery. England's batters were out attempting to strike balls outside off stump, on the up, towards cover region. Attempting runs off those bowls, 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 adjust or are unwilling to adapt. There is much discussion about England's approach, their aggressive style. I witnessed 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 method. It is acceptable on sluggish 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. Bowling Perspective As a bowler, I would have consistently believed in the game 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 licking my lips at the prospect of facing them, aware a single error could bring three or four wickets. Skill and Resilience There are occasions when England can be a high-quality team. They have talented individuals. Good players have skill, but exceptional athletes have the mental toughness and mindset to be flexible enough for the situation. They would been shellshocked at the way things unfolded at Perth Stadium, 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 adapt, just to show they can improve. Pace Attack Issues It was almost the same 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 Test cricket, all aspects require a backup strategy. Quite often it feels like England have a single approach, then no alternatives if that does not work. 'Where has this come from?' - The dismissal as England lose third wicket in quick succession Head's Masterclass In fairness to England's bowlers, they were hit by one of the memorable Ashes innings by the Australian batsman. His century off 69 deliveries was the second quickest by an Australian batsman in the historic rivalry, 12 balls behind the legendary keeper at the Waca 19 years ago – a game I played in. My former teammate Gilchrist said the performance was the better of the two. I concur. Considering the challenging nature of the pitch and the context of the match circumstances, Head's knock will be remembered as a moment of Ashes history. Tactical Moves It was a courageous move for Australia to promote the batsman in the lineup for the follow-on. The opener has faced criticism for being unable to open in both attempts. He had muscle issues after playing golf the previous day the Test, but I do not believe the two were connected. When the batsman missed out on the opening day, Australia promoted their number three and got bogged down. In promoting the aggressive batsman, who has the confidence of starting in white-ball cricket, Australia were able to take the attack 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 approach of attacking play at the beginning. That could mean Head remains, meaning a player such as the all-rounder comes into the batting lineup, or Head could go back to his position and Mitchell Marsh or the keeper could go to the opening. It would be difficult for Khawaja, but sometimes you have to do what the opposition would find most uncomfortable. Tournament Perspective After the opening match was controlled by the bowlers, some are wondering 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 batsmen should get a little bit of relief from here onward. It is not all about the wicket. Recognition has to be given to the pacemen for delivering the ball in the right place consistently. Overall, batsmen on both sides will need to analyze how they were dismissed. Crucial Next Test Now we progress to Brisbane, and the completely distinct day-night conditions for the second Test. 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 habit of slipping from England quickly. At the moment, England are just one match down. There would be no coming back from 2-0, which is why the venue is such a crucial game. They need to adjust, or the Ashes will be lost once more.