I'd Be Salivating Facing England - McGrath

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For Australia to fight back and win the first Ashes Test as decisively as they did, one questions what psychological damage will be inflicted upon the England team.

How will they respond for the rest of series?

Surprising Comeback

I do not think anyone anticipated what transpired on Saturday. When you look at the quantity of deliveries taken to finish the game, it was the longest format on fast forward.

England were well on top at the midday break on the following day, 105 ahead with most wickets in hand. The pitch 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 major downfall. The Australian bowler put in probably his worst performance in an Australia shirt in the initial batting, then turned it around in the second to be the catalyst for the comeback.

England's batters were out trying to hit 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 should avoid as a batsman in Australia.

Adjustment Problems

It demonstrated that England had failed to complete their homework, are not able to adjust or are unwilling to change approach.

There is much discussion about England's method, their attacking philosophy. I witnessed it up close during the recent series in the UK. Under their captain and their coach, they can be pretty stubborn when it comes to sticking with that method.

It is acceptable on sluggish pitches. On the quick, lively 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 bowler, I would have consistently believed in the game against this England team.

I depended on my precision, having confidence to hit the same spot around 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 result in multiple wickets.

Quality and Mental Toughness

There are times when England can be a high-quality team. They have good players. Competent cricketers have skill, but great players have the psychological strength and mindset to be flexible enough for the conditions.

They would been shellshocked at the way events developed at Perth Stadium, crushed at the way they were defeated. Now we will see what they are capable of. Even as a true blue Australian, I somewhat 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 opening day, then lost the plot when they were put under pressure on the following day.

In Test cricket, all aspects require a Plan B. Frequently it seems England have a single approach, then no alternatives if that fails.

'Where has this come from?' - Starc bowls Root as England collapse in six balls

Brilliant Innings

In defense 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 man in Ashes cricket, 12 balls behind Adam Gilchrist at the Perth ground previously – a match I participated in.

My former teammate Gilchrist said the performance was the better of the two. I agree. Considering the challenging nature of the pitch and the situation of the game circumstances, Head's knock will go down as a highlight of cricket lore.

Tactical Moves

It was a courageous move for Australia to elevate Head up the order for the second innings.

The opener has copped it for being failing to start in either innings. He had back spasms after playing golf the day before the Test, but I don't think the two were connected.

When Khawaja missed out on the opening day, Australia advanced their number three and got bogged down.

In promoting Head, 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 second Test. I'd like to see them continue the method of aggression at the beginning.

That could mean continuation at the top, meaning someone like Beau Webster enters the middle order, or Head could go back to number five and Mitchell Marsh or Josh Inglis could move to the top. It would be difficult for the batsman, but occasionally you have to do what the rival team would find most uncomfortable.

Tournament Perspective

After the first Test was controlled by the bowlers, some are wondering if the remaining series will be short, low-scoring Tests.

Perth Stadium is essentially the fastest, bounciest pitch in the world, so the batters should get a some respite from here onward.

It is not all about the wicket. Recognition has to be awarded to the bowlers for getting the ball in the correct areas consistently. Overall, batsmen on both sides will need to look at how they were dismissed.

Pivotal Match

Now we progress to the next venue, and the vastly different day-night conditions for the following match.

In the historic series, I was a member of the national side that overwhelmed England to achieve 5-0. The rivalry in this country have a tendency 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 massive game.

They need to adjust, or the Ashes will be gone once more.

Dr. Ryan Flores
Dr. Ryan Flores

Kaelen is a seasoned gaming strategist with over a decade of experience in competitive gaming and community building.