I'd Be Licking My Lips Facing England - Glenn McGrath
- Published
- 4 Comments
The Australian team to bounce back and win the first Ashes Test so convincingly as they did, one questions 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 anyone expected what transpired on the weekend. When you look at the number of overs required to complete the game, it was Test cricket on fast forward.
England were clearly dominant at the midday break on the following day, leading by 105 runs with nine wickets in hand. The playing surface was still offering assistance. It looked so tough for Australia to re-enter the match.
Batting Mistakes
From that moment, England's choice of strokes was their major downfall. Scott Boland put in arguably his poorest performance in an Australia shirt in the first innings, then completely reversed in the subsequent innings to be the catalyst for the comeback.
England's batsmen were out attempting to strike balls wide of off-stump, on the up, towards cover region.
Attempting runs off those deliveries, with those strokes, is the precise action you just should avoid as a batsman in Australia.
Adaptation Issues
It showed that England had failed to complete their preparation, are not able to adjust or are reluctant to change approach.
There is much discussion about England's approach, their attacking philosophy. I observed 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 method.
It is acceptable on slow, low pitches. On the quick, lively pitches of Australia it is a method fraught with danger. If England fail to reconsider, they will face difficulties for the whole series.
Pacer's Viewpoint
As a paceman, I would have always felt in the contest against this England team.
I relied on my precision, backing myself to land the identical area around off stump, with a bit of bounce and movement.
Even if this England team was performing strongly, I'd be licking my lips at the prospect of facing them, knowing one mistake could result in multiple wickets.
Skill and Resilience
There are times when England can be a top-class team. They have talented individuals. Good players have skill, but exceptional athletes have the mental toughness and mindset to be adaptable enough for the conditions.
They would been stunned at the way events developed 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 change, just to show they can improve.
Pace Attack Issues
It was almost the same with their bowling. England's bowling unit was excellent on the first evening, then lost the plot when they were attacked on the second night.
In the longest format, all aspects require a Plan B. Frequently it seems England have a single approach, then no alternatives if that does not work.
'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 memorable Ashes innings by Travis Head.
His 69-ball hundred was the second fastest by an Australian man in Ashes cricket, two overs behind Adam Gilchrist at the Perth ground previously – a match I played in.
My former teammate Gilchrist said Head's innings was the superior of the two. I concur. Given the difficulty of the wicket and the context of the match circumstances, the innings will be remembered as a moment of cricket lore.
Strategic Decisions
It was a bold and brave move for Australia to elevate the batsman up the order for the follow-on.
The opener has faced criticism for being failing to start in both attempts. He had back spasms after playing the sport the previous day the Test, but I don't think the two were connected.
When the batsman failed on the opening day, Australia advanced Marnus Labuschagne and got stuck.
In moving the aggressive batsman, who has the confidence 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 next match. I'd like to see them continue the approach of attacking play at the beginning.
That could mean continuation at the top, meaning a player such as Beau Webster comes into the batting lineup, or return to number five and Mitchell Marsh or Josh Inglis could move to the top. 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 opening match was dominated by the pace attack, questions arise 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 respite from here onward.
It is not entirely about the pitch. Credit has to be given to the pacemen for delivering the ball in the correct areas consistently. Overall, batsmen on both sides will need to analyze how they were dismissed.
Crucial Next Test
Now we progress to the next venue, and the vastly different day-night conditions for the following match.
In the historic series, I was a member of the national side that overwhelmed England to achieve 5-0. Ashes series in this country have a tendency of slipping from England rapidly.
At the present, England are just one match down. There would be no recovery from two down, which is why Brisbane is such a massive game.
They need to adjust, or the historic urn will be gone again.
