I Would Be Licking My Lips Bowling to England - McGrath
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For Australia to bounce back and claim victory in the opening Ashes Test as decisively as they did, you wonder what psychological damage will be left on the England team.
How will they respond for the rest of series?
Unexpected Turnaround
I do not think no one anticipated what happened on the weekend. When you examine the quantity of deliveries taken to finish the game, it was the longest format on fast forward.
England were clearly dominant at the midday break on the second day, 105 ahead with nine wickets in hand. The playing surface was still doing plenty. It looked so tough for Australia to re-enter the match.
Batting Mistakes
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 initial batting, then turned it around in the second to be the catalyst for the comeback.
England's batsmen were out trying to hit balls wide of off-stump, on the up, towards cover region.
Trying to score off those bowls, with those strokes, is the precise action you just do not do as a batsman in Australia.
Adjustment Problems
It demonstrated that England had not done their homework, are not able to adjust or are unwilling to change approach.
There is a lot of talk about England's approach, their attacking philosophy. I observed it up close during the recent series in the UK. Under their captain and their coach, they can be quite rigid when it comes to adhering to that method.
It is acceptable on slow, low pitches. On the fast, bouncy pitches of Australia it is a method full of danger. If England do not reassess, they will struggle for the whole series.
Pacer's Viewpoint
As a paceman, I would have consistently believed in the contest against this England team.
I depended on my accuracy, having confidence to land the identical area 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 prospect of bowling to them, aware one mistake could result in multiple wickets.
Quality and Mental Toughness
There are times when England can be a high-quality team. They have talented individuals. Good players have skill, but great players have the mental toughness and attitude to be flexible enough for the situation.
They would been stunned at the way things unfolded at Perth Stadium, crushed at the way they were defeated. Now we will see what they are capable of. Even as a true blue Australian, I somewhat wants to see them adapt, just to show they can get better.
Pace Attack Issues
It was almost the same with their bowling. England's bowling unit was excellent on the opening day, then lost direction when they were attacked on the following day.
In the longest format, all aspects require a backup strategy. Frequently it feels like England have one method, then no alternatives if that does not work.
'Where has this come from?' - Starc bowls Root as England collapse in quick succession
Head's Masterclass
In fairness 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 previously – a match I participated in.
My former teammate Gilchrist said Head's innings was the better of the two. I concur. Considering the challenging nature of the pitch and the context of the game situation, the innings will be remembered as a highlight of cricket lore.
Tactical Moves
It was a courageous move for Australia to promote the batsman in the lineup for the second innings.
Usman Khawaja has faced criticism for being unable to open in either innings. He had back spasms after playing golf the day before the Test, but I don't think the two were linked.
When Khawaja failed on the opening day, 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.
Future Considerations
Now there is the issue of what Australia will do for the next match. I'd like to see them continue the approach of aggression at the beginning.
That could mean continuation at the top, meaning a player such as Beau Webster enters the batting lineup, or return to his position and Mitchell Marsh or Josh Inglis could move to the opening. It would be tough on the batsman, but occasionally you have to do what the rival team would find most uncomfortable.
Series Outlook
After the first Test was controlled by the bowlers, questions arise if the remaining series will be short, low-scoring Tests.
Perth Stadium is essentially the quickest, liveliest pitch in the world, so the batters should get a little bit of respite from now on.
It is not all about the wicket. Credit has to be given to the pacemen for delivering the ball in the right place 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 second Test.
In the historic series, I was part of the national side that dominated England to win 5-0. Ashes series in this country have a habit of slipping from England quickly.
At the present, England are only 1-0 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.
