I Would Be Salivating Facing England - Glenn McGrath

Cricket action
  • Published
  • 4 Comments

The Australian team to bounce back and win the first Ashes Test so convincingly as they did, you wonder what psychological damage will be inflicted upon the England team.

What are they going to do for the remaining series?

Unexpected Turnaround

I do not think no one anticipated what happened on the weekend. When you examine the number of overs required to finish the game, it was Test cricket on accelerated pace.

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 re-enter the match.

Batting Mistakes

From that point, England's shot selection was their major downfall. The Australian bowler put in arguably his poorest performance in an Australia shirt in the initial batting, then completely reversed in the second to be the catalyst for the recovery.

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

Trying to score off those deliveries, with those shots, is the one thing you just should avoid as a batter in Australia.

Adjustment Problems

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

There is a lot of talk about England's method, their aggressive style. I observed it firsthand during the recent series in the UK. Under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum, they can be pretty stubborn when it comes to sticking with that strategy.

It is fine on sluggish pitches. On the fast, bouncy pitches of Australia it is a approach fraught with danger. If England do not reassess, they will face difficulties for the whole series.

Bowling Perspective

As a bowler, I would have always felt in the game against this England team.

I relied on my accuracy, backing myself to land the same spot on or outside off stump, with a some bounce and nip.

Even if this England team was going well, I'd be licking my lips at the idea of bowling to them, aware one mistake could bring multiple wickets.

Quality and Mental Toughness

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

They would been shellshocked at the way things unfolded at the venue, crushed at the way they were defeated. 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 improve.

Bowling Concerns

It was almost the same with their bowling. England's attack was very good on the first evening, then lost direction 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 one method, then nowhere to go if that fails.

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

Head's Masterclass

In defense to England's pace attack, they were confronted with one of the great Ashes innings by the Australian batsman.

His 69-ball hundred was the second quickest by an Australian batsman in the historic rivalry, 12 balls behind the legendary keeper at the Waca previously – a match I played in.

My old mate Gilchrist said the performance was the better of the two. I agree. Considering the difficulty of the pitch and the situation of the match circumstances, Head's knock will be remembered as a moment of Ashes history.

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 unable to open in either innings. He had back spasms after playing golf the day before the Test, but I do not believe the two were connected.

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

In moving the aggressive batsman, who has the confidence of opening in limited overs, Australia were able to go on offensive to England.

Upcoming Decisions

Now there is the question of what Australia will do for the next match. I'd like to see them continue the method of attacking play at the beginning.

That could mean Head remains, meaning a player such as the all-rounder enters the batting lineup, or Head could go back to number five and Mitchell Marsh or Josh Inglis could go to the top. It would be tough on Khawaja, but occasionally you have to do what the rival team would find most challenging.

Tournament Perspective

After the first Test was dominated 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 global cricket, so the batsmen should get a some relief from here onward.

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

Crucial Next Test

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

In 2006-07, I was a member of the Australia team that dominated England to achieve 5-0. Ashes series in this country have a habit of getting away from England rapidly.

At the present, England are just one match down. There would be no coming back from two down, which is why the venue is such a massive game.

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

Sarah Rios
Sarah Rios

A passionate gamer and casino enthusiast with over a decade of experience in reviewing and analyzing online gaming platforms.