I'd Be Licking My Lips Bowling to the English Team - McGrath

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The Australian team to fight back and claim victory in the opening Ashes Test so convincingly as they did, one questions what scars will be left on the England team.

How will they respond for the rest of series?

Surprising Comeback

I do not think no one expected what transpired on the weekend. When you look at the number of overs required to complete the game, it was the longest format on fast forward.

England were clearly dominant at the midday break on the following day, leading by 105 runs with most wickets in hand. The pitch was still doing plenty. It looked extremely difficult 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 subsequent innings to be the driving force for the recovery.

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

Attempting runs off those bowls, with those strokes, is the one thing you just should avoid as a batter in Australia.

Adaptation Issues

It showed that England had not done their preparation, are unable to adjust or are reluctant to adapt.

There is much discussion about England's method, their attacking philosophy. I observed 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 strategy.

It is fine on slow, low pitches. On the quick, lively pitches of Australia it is a method fraught with danger. If England do not reassess, they will face difficulties for the whole series.

Bowling Perspective

As a paceman, I would have consistently believed in the contest against this England team.

I depended on my accuracy, having confidence to hit the identical area around off stump, with a some bounce and nip.

Even if this England team was performing strongly, I'd be eagerly anticipating at the prospect of facing them, aware a single error could bring multiple wickets.

Skill and Resilience

There are times when England can be a top-class team. They have talented individuals. Good players have ability, but great players have the psychological strength and attitude to be adaptable enough for the conditions.

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 made of. Even as a loyal Australian, part of me wants to see them change, just to show they can get better.

Pace Attack Issues

It was similar with their pace attack. England's attack was excellent on the first evening, then lost the plot when they were attacked on the following day.

In the longest format, all disciplines require a Plan B. Quite often it feels like England have a single approach, then nowhere to go if that fails.

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Brilliant Innings

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 fastest by an Australian man in the historic rivalry, two overs behind Adam Gilchrist at the Perth ground 19 years ago – a game I played in.

My former teammate Gilchrist said the performance was the superior of the two. I agree. Given the challenging nature of the pitch and the context of the game situation, Head's knock will go down as a moment of Ashes history.

Strategic Decisions

It was a bold and brave move for Australia to elevate the batsman up the order for the follow-on.

Usman Khawaja has faced criticism for being failing to start in both attempts. He had back spasms after playing golf the previous day the Test, but I do not believe the two were connected.

When the batsman failed on the opening day, Australia promoted their number three and got bogged down.

In promoting Head, who has the experience of starting in limited overs, Australia were able to go on offensive 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 attacking play at the top of the order.

That could mean continuation at the top, meaning a player such as the all-rounder enters the batting lineup, or Head could go back to his position and the all-rounder or Josh Inglis could go to the top. It would be tough on the batsman, but sometimes you have to do what the rival team would find most uncomfortable.

Tournament Perspective

After the opening match was controlled by the pace attack, some are wondering if the remaining series will be short, low-scoring Tests.

Perth Stadium is pretty much the fastest, bounciest pitch in the global cricket, so the batters should get a some relief from here onward.

It is not entirely about the wicket. Recognition has to be given to the bowlers for getting the ball in the right place consistently. Overall, batsmen on both sides will need to look at how they got themselves out.

Pivotal Match

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 overwhelmed England to win 5-0. The rivalry in this nation have a habit of getting away from England quickly.

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

They must adapt, or the historic urn will be gone again.

Carla Walton
Carla Walton

A seasoned gambling analyst with over a decade of experience in the UK casino industry, specializing in game reviews and betting strategies.