I Would Be Licking My Lips Bowling to England - McGrath
- Published
- 4 Comments
The Australian team to fight back and claim victory in the opening Ashes Test so convincingly as they did, you wonder what psychological damage will be inflicted upon the England team.
How will they respond for the remaining series?
Surprising Comeback
I do not think anyone expected what transpired on Saturday. When you examine the quantity of deliveries taken to finish the game, it was Test cricket on accelerated pace.
England were clearly dominant at lunch on the following day, 105 ahead with nine wickets in hand. The playing surface was still offering assistance. It looked extremely difficult for Australia to re-enter the match.
Shot Selection Woes
From that moment, England's choice of strokes was their major downfall. Scott Boland put in probably his worst performance in an national colors in the initial batting, then completely reversed in the second to be the driving force for the comeback.
England's batters were out attempting to strike balls outside off stump, in the air, through the covers.
Attempting runs off those bowls, with those strokes, is the precise action you just do not do as a batsman in Australia.
Adaptation Issues
It demonstrated that England had failed to complete their preparation, are unable to adapt or are unwilling to adapt.
There is a lot of talk about England's method, their attacking philosophy. I observed it up close during the recent series in the UK. Under Ben Stokes and their coach, they can be pretty stubborn when it comes to adhering to that strategy.
It is acceptable on sluggish pitches. On the fast, bouncy pitches of Australia it is a method fraught with danger. If England fail to reconsider, they will struggle for the whole series.
Pacer's Viewpoint
As a bowler, I would have consistently believed in the contest against this England team.
I relied on my accuracy, having confidence to land the identical area around off stump, with a bit of bounce and nip.
Even if this England team was going well, I'd be licking my lips at the idea of facing them, aware one mistake could result in multiple wickets.
Skill and Resilience
There are occasions when England can be a top-class team. They have talented individuals. Good players have skill, but great players have the psychological strength and attitude to be adaptable enough for the situation.
They would been stunned at the way events developed at the venue, devastated at the way they were beaten. Now we will see what they are capable of. Even as a loyal Australian, I somewhat wants to see them change, just to show they can get better.
Pace Attack Issues
It was similar with their bowling. England's bowling unit was excellent on the first evening, then lost direction when they were put under pressure on the second night.
In Test cricket, all aspects require a Plan B. Quite often it seems England have one method, then no alternatives if that does not work.
'Where has this come from?' - Starc bowls Root as England collapse in six balls
Head's Masterclass
In fairness to England's bowlers, they were confronted with one of the great Ashes innings by the Australian batsman.
His 69-ball hundred was the second fastest by an Australian man in Ashes cricket, 12 balls behind the legendary keeper at the Waca previously – a game I participated in.
My former teammate Gilchrist said Head's innings was the better of the two. I agree. Given the difficulty of the wicket and the situation 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 elevate the batsman up the order for the follow-on.
The opener has copped it for being failing to start in either innings. He had back spasms after playing the sport the day before the Test, but I don't think the two were connected.
When Khawaja missed out on day one, Australia advanced Marnus Labuschagne and got bogged down.
In moving Head, who has the confidence of starting in limited overs, 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 method of aggression at the top of the order.
That could mean continuation at the top, meaning someone like Beau Webster comes into the batting lineup, or Head could go back to his position and the all-rounder or Josh Inglis could go to the opening. It would be difficult for the batsman, but occasionally you have to do what the opposition would find most challenging.
Tournament Perspective
After the first Test was controlled by the pace attack, questions arise if the remaining series will be short, low-scoring Tests.
Perth Stadium is essentially the quickest, liveliest pitch in the global cricket, 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 pacemen for delivering the ball in the correct areas so often. 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 second Test.
In the historic series, I was part of the Australia team that dominated England to win 5-0. Ashes series in this country have a tendency of getting away from England rapidly.
At the moment, England are only 1-0 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 historic urn will be gone again.