🔗 Share this article

• Published
  9 minutes ago
• 4 Comments

The Australian team to fight back and win the opening Ashes Test as decisively as they did, you wonder what scars will be inflicted upon the England team.

What are they going to do for the remaining series?

Unexpected Turnaround

I believe no one anticipated what transpired on the weekend. When you examine the number of overs required to finish the game, it was Test cricket on fast forward.

England were well on top at lunch on the second day, leading by 105 runs with nine wickets in hand. The pitch was still doing plenty. It looked so tough for Australia to re-enter the match.

Shot Selection Woes

From that point, England's choice of strokes was their major downfall. The Australian bowler put in probably his worst performance in an Australia shirt in the first innings, then turned it around in the subsequent innings to be the driving force for the recovery.

England's batsmen were out trying to hit balls wide of off-stump, in the air, towards cover region.

Attempting runs off those bowls, with those strokes, is the precise action you just should avoid as a batsman in Australia.

Adjustment Problems

It showed that England had not done their preparation, are unable to adapt or are unwilling to change approach.

There is much discussion about England's approach, their aggressive style. I witnessed 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 strategy.

It is acceptable on slow, low pitches. On the quick, lively pitches of Australia it is a approach full of danger. If England fail to reconsider, they will struggle for the whole series.

Bowling Perspective

As a paceman, I would have always felt in the contest against this England team.

I depended on my precision, having confidence to hit the identical area on or outside off stump, with a some bounce and movement.

Even if this England team was going well, I'd be eagerly anticipating at the idea of bowling to them, knowing a single error could bring multiple wickets.

Skill and Resilience

There are occasions when England can be a top-class team. They have good players. Competent cricketers have ability, but exceptional athletes have the mental toughness and attitude to be flexible enough for the situation.

They would been shellshocked at the way things unfolded at Perth Stadium, crushed at the way they were beaten. Now we will see what they are made of. Even as a loyal Australian, I somewhat wants to see them adapt, just to show they can get better.

Bowling Concerns

It was similar with their bowling. England's attack was very good on the opening day, then lost direction when they were put under pressure on the second night.

In the longest format, all aspects require a backup strategy. Frequently it feels like England have one method, then nowhere to go if that fails.

'Where has this come from?' - The dismissal as England lose third wicket in quick succession

Head's Masterclass

In fairness to England's pace attack, they were confronted with one of the great Ashes innings by Travis Head.

His century off 69 deliveries was the second fastest by an Australian man in Ashes cricket, 12 balls behind Adam Gilchrist at the Waca 19 years ago – a game I played in.

My old mate Gilchrist said Head's innings was the superior of the two. I concur. Given the challenging nature of the pitch and the situation of the match situation, Head's knock will be remembered as a moment of cricket lore.

Tactical Moves

It was a bold and brave move for Australia to elevate the batsman in the lineup 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 previous day the Test, but I don't think the two were connected.

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

In promoting Head, who has the experience of opening in white-ball cricket, Australia were able to go on offensive to England.

Upcoming Decisions

Now there is the issue of what Australia will do for the second Test. I'd like to see them stick with the approach of attacking play at the top of the order.

That could mean Head remains, meaning a player such as Beau Webster comes into the middle order, or return to his position and the all-rounder or the keeper could move to the opening. It would be tough on the batsman, but sometimes 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.

The venue is essentially the fastest, bounciest pitch in the global cricket, so the batters should get a some respite from here onward.

It is not all about the pitch. Recognition has to be awarded to the bowlers for delivering the ball in the correct areas consistently. In general, batters on both sides will need to look at how they were dismissed.

Crucial Next Test

Now we progress to Brisbane, and the completely distinct twilight conditions for the following match.

In the historic series, I was a member of the Australia team that dominated England to win 5-0. The rivalry in this country have a tendency of getting away from England quickly.

At the moment, England are only 1-0 down. There would be no recovery from two down, which is why Brisbane is such a crucial game.

They need to adjust, or the historic urn will be gone again.