🔗 Share this article I Would Be Salivating Facing the English Team - Glenn McGrath Published9 minutes ago 4 Comments For Australia to bounce back and claim victory in the opening Ashes Test as decisively as they did, you wonder what psychological damage will be left on the England team. How will they respond for the rest of series? Unexpected Turnaround I do not think anyone expected what transpired on Saturday. When you look at the number of overs taken to complete the game, it was the longest format on accelerated pace. England were clearly dominant at lunch on the following day, leading by 105 runs with most wickets in hand. The pitch was still offering assistance. It looked so tough for Australia to get back into the match. Batting Mistakes From that point, England's choice of strokes was their major downfall. Scott Boland put in probably his worst performance in an Australia shirt in the initial batting, then turned it around in the subsequent innings to be the driving force for the comeback. England's batters were out trying to hit balls wide of off-stump, in the air, through the covers. Attempting runs off those bowls, with those strokes, is the precise action you just should avoid as a batter in Australia. Adjustment Problems It demonstrated that England had failed to complete their homework, are not able to adjust or are unwilling to adapt. There is much discussion about England's approach, their aggressive style. I observed it up close during the recent series in the UK. Under their captain and Brendon McCullum, they can be pretty stubborn when it comes to adhering to that method. It is fine on slow, low pitches. On the fast, bouncy pitches of Australia it is a method fraught with danger. If England do not reassess, they will face difficulties for the entire series. Bowling Perspective As a bowler, I would have consistently believed in the contest 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 movement. Even if this England team was performing strongly, I'd be licking my lips at the idea of bowling to them, aware one mistake could bring multiple wickets. Skill and Resilience There are times when England can be a high-quality team. They have good players. Good players have ability, but great players have the psychological strength and attitude to be flexible enough for the situation. They would been shellshocked at the way events developed at the venue, crushed 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. Bowling Concerns It was similar with their pace attack. England's bowling unit was excellent on the opening day, then lost the plot when they were attacked on the following day. In the longest format, all aspects require a Plan B. Quite often it feels like England have one method, then nowhere to go if that fails. 'Where has this come from?' - Starc bowls Root as England lose third wicket in six balls Head's Masterclass In defense to England's bowlers, they were hit by one of the memorable 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 Waca previously – a match I played in. My former teammate Gilchrist said Head's innings was the better of the two. I agree. Given the challenging nature of the wicket and the situation of the match situation, Head's knock will go down as a highlight of Ashes history. Strategic Decisions It was a courageous move for Australia to promote 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 golf the day before the Test, but I do not believe the two were linked. When the batsman missed out on the opening day, Australia promoted Marnus Labuschagne and got stuck. In promoting Head, who has the experience of opening in limited overs, Australia were able to take the attack to England. Future Considerations Now there is the question of what Australia will do for the next match. I'd like to see them continue the method of aggression at the top of the order. That could mean Head remains, meaning a player such as Beau Webster enters the middle order, 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 occasionally you have to do what the rival team would find most challenging. Series Outlook After the opening match was dominated by the pace attack, some are wondering if the remaining series will be short, low-scoring Tests. Perth Stadium is pretty much the quickest, liveliest pitch in the world, so the batters should get a little bit of relief from now on. It is not entirely about the wicket. Credit has to be given to the bowlers for getting the ball in the right place so often. Overall, batsmen on both sides will need to analyze how they got themselves out. Pivotal Match Now we progress to the next venue, and the vastly different day-night conditions for the second Test. In 2006-07, I was part of the national side that dominated England to win 5-0. Ashes series 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 Brisbane is such a crucial game. They must adapt, or the historic urn will be lost again.