I Would Be Salivating Bowling to England - Glenn McGrath

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For Australia to fight back and claim victory in the first Ashes Test so convincingly as they did, one questions what psychological damage will be inflicted upon the England team.

How will they respond for the remaining series?

Surprising Comeback

I do not think no one anticipated what transpired on Saturday. When you look at the quantity of deliveries taken to complete the game, it was Test cricket on accelerated pace.

England were well on top at lunch on the second day, leading by 105 runs with nine wickets in hand. The playing surface was still offering assistance. It looked so tough for Australia to get back into the match.

Shot Selection Woes

From that point, England's choice of strokes was their major downfall. Scott Boland put in arguably his poorest 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 outside off stump, in the air, through the covers.

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

Adjustment Problems

It demonstrated that England had not done their homework, are not able to adjust or are reluctant to change approach.

There is a lot of talk about England's approach, their aggressive style. I witnessed it firsthand during the recent series in the UK. Under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum, they can be quite rigid when it comes to adhering to that method.

It is acceptable on sluggish pitches. On the fast, bouncy pitches of Australia it is a approach 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 game against this England team.

I depended on my precision, having confidence to hit the identical area on or outside off stump, with a bit of bounce and movement.

Even if this England team was going well, I'd be eagerly anticipating at the idea of facing them, knowing a single error could bring three or four wickets.

Quality and Mental Toughness

There are times when England can be a high-quality team. They have good players. Good players have ability, but exceptional athletes have the psychological strength and mindset to be adaptable enough for the situation.

They would been stunned at the way events developed at Perth Stadium, crushed at the way they were defeated. Now we will see what they are capable of. Even as a loyal Australian, I somewhat wants to see them adapt, just to show they can get better.

Bowling Concerns

It was almost the same with their pace attack. England's attack was excellent on the opening day, then lost direction when they were attacked on the second night.

In Test cricket, all disciplines require a Plan B. Quite often it seems England have one method, then nowhere to go if that fails.

'Where has this come from?' - The dismissal as England collapse in quick succession

Head's Masterclass

In fairness 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 man in the historic rivalry, 12 balls behind Adam Gilchrist at the Waca 19 years ago – a game I played in.

My old mate Gilly said the performance was the superior of the two. I agree. Considering the challenging nature of the wicket and the context of the game circumstances, Head's knock will be remembered as a moment of cricket lore.

Strategic Decisions

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

The opener has faced criticism for being unable to open in either innings. He had muscle issues after playing the sport the day before the Test, but I don't think the two were connected.

When Khawaja missed out on the opening day, Australia promoted their number three and got bogged down.

In moving the aggressive batsman, who has the experience of opening 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 top of the order.

That could mean Head remains, meaning someone like the all-rounder enters the middle order, or Head could go back to his position and Mitchell Marsh or Josh Inglis could go to the top. It would be difficult for Khawaja, but sometimes you have to do what the rival team would find most challenging.

Series Outlook

After the first Test was controlled by the pace attack, questions arise if the remaining series will be short, low-scoring Tests.

The venue is pretty much the fastest, bounciest pitch in the world, so the batsmen should get a some relief from here onward.

It is not all about the pitch. Recognition has to be awarded to the bowlers for delivering the ball in the correct areas so often. Overall, batters on both sides will need to analyze how they were dismissed.

Crucial Next Test

Now we move on to the next venue, and the vastly different twilight conditions for the following match.

In the historic series, I was part of the national side that overwhelmed England to achieve 5-0. Ashes series in this country have a habit of slipping from England quickly.

At the present, England are just one match down. There would be no recovery from 2-0, which is why the venue is such a crucial game.

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