I Would Be Salivating Facing England - McGrath
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The Australian team to bounce back and claim victory in the first 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 rest of series?
Surprising Comeback
I believe anyone expected what transpired on the weekend. When you examine the quantity of deliveries required to complete the game, it was the longest format on accelerated pace.
England were clearly dominant at lunch on the second day, leading by 105 runs with nine wickets in hand. The playing surface was still doing plenty. It looked extremely difficult for Australia to re-enter the match.
Shot Selection Woes
From that moment, England's shot selection was their major downfall. Scott Boland put in arguably his poorest performance in an Australia shirt in the first innings, then turned it around in the second to be the catalyst for the comeback.
England's batters were out trying to hit balls wide of off-stump, in the air, through the covers.
Trying to score off those bowls, with those shots, is the one thing you just should avoid as a batter in Australia.
Adjustment Problems
It showed that England had failed to complete their preparation, are unable to adjust or are reluctant to adapt.
There is much discussion about England's method, their aggressive style. I witnessed it up close during the 2023 Ashes 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 sluggish pitches. On the quick, lively pitches of Australia it is a method full of danger. If England fail to reconsider, they will struggle for the whole series.
Pacer's Viewpoint
As a paceman, I would have consistently believed in the game against this England team.
I depended on my accuracy, having confidence to hit the same spot on or outside off stump, with a bit of bounce and nip.
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.
Quality and Mental Toughness
There are times when England can be a top-class team. They have talented individuals. Good players have skill, but exceptional athletes have the psychological strength and mindset to be flexible 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 true blue Australian, I somewhat wants to see them change, just to show they can get better.
Pace Attack Issues
It was almost the same with their pace attack. England's bowling unit was excellent on the first evening, then lost the plot when they were put under pressure on the following day.
In Test cricket, all aspects require a backup strategy. Quite often it feels like England have one method, then no alternatives if that fails.
'Where has this come from?' - Starc bowls Root as England collapse in six balls
Brilliant Innings
In defense to England's bowlers, they were confronted with one of the great Ashes innings by the Australian batsman.
His century off 69 deliveries was the second fastest by an Australian man in Ashes cricket, 12 balls behind Adam Gilchrist at the Waca previously – a game I participated in.
My old mate Gilchrist said the performance was the better of the two. I agree. Given the difficulty of the wicket and the context of the match situation, Head's knock will go down as a moment of cricket lore.
Tactical Moves
It was a bold and brave move for Australia to elevate the batsman up the order for the second innings.
The opener has copped it for being unable to open in either innings. He had muscle issues after playing golf the previous day the Test, but I do not believe the two were linked.
When Khawaja failed on the opening day, Australia promoted their number three and got stuck.
In moving Head, who has the experience of starting in white-ball cricket, Australia were able to take the attack to England.
Future Considerations
Now there is the question of what Australia will do for the second Test. I'd like to see them stick with the approach of attacking play at the beginning.
That could mean Head remains, meaning a player such as the all-rounder enters the middle order, or Head could go back to number five and Mitchell Marsh or the keeper could go to the opening. It would be tough on the batsman, but sometimes you have to do what the rival team would find most uncomfortable.
Series Outlook
After the first Test was controlled by the pace attack, some are wondering if the rest of series will be brief, low-run Tests.
The venue is essentially the fastest, bounciest pitch in the global cricket, so the batsmen should get a little bit of relief from here onward.
It is not entirely about the wicket. Credit has to be awarded to the pacemen for delivering the ball in the right place so often. In general, batters on both sides will need to analyze how they got themselves out.
Crucial Next Test
Now we progress to the next venue, and the completely distinct twilight conditions for the following match.
In the historic series, I was a member of the Australia team that overwhelmed England to win 5-0. The rivalry in this country have a tendency of getting away 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 massive game.
They need to adjust, or the Ashes will be lost again.
