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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 left on the England team.

How will they respond for the rest of series?

Unexpected Turnaround

I believe no one anticipated what transpired on Saturday. When you examine the quantity of deliveries required to finish the game, it was the longest format on fast forward.

England were clearly dominant at lunch on the second day, leading by 105 runs with most wickets in hand. The pitch was still doing plenty. It looked extremely difficult for Australia to get back into the match.

Batting Mistakes

From that point, England's choice of strokes was their big undoing. Scott Boland put in arguably his poorest performance in an Australia shirt in the initial batting, then completely reversed in the subsequent innings to be the driving force for the recovery.

England's batsmen were out attempting to strike balls wide of off-stump, in the air, through the covers.

Attempting runs off those bowls, with those strokes, is the one thing you just do not do as a batsman in Australia.

Adjustment Problems

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

There is a lot of talk about England's approach, their attacking philosophy. I observed it firsthand 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 struggle for the entire series.

Pacer's Viewpoint

As a bowler, 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 movement.

Even if this England team was performing strongly, I'd be eagerly anticipating at the idea of bowling to them, knowing 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 ability, but exceptional athletes have the psychological strength and mindset to be flexible enough for the conditions.

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 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 similar with their bowling. England's bowling unit was very good on the first evening, then lost direction when they were put under pressure 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 does not work.

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Head's Masterclass

In fairness to England's bowlers, they were hit by one of the great 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 the legendary keeper at the Waca previously – a game I played in.

My old mate Gilchrist said the performance was the superior of the two. I concur. Given the difficulty of the pitch and the situation of the game situation, Head's knock will be remembered as a highlight of cricket lore.

Strategic Decisions

It was a bold and brave move for Australia to promote Head up the order for the second innings.

The opener has faced criticism for being unable to open in either innings. He had muscle issues after playing golf the day before the Test, but I do not believe the two were connected.

When Khawaja failed on the opening day, Australia advanced their number three and got stuck.

In promoting 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 next match. I'd like to see them continue the approach of attacking play at the top of the order.

That could mean Head remains, meaning someone like Beau Webster enters the middle order, or Head could go back 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 opposition would find most uncomfortable.

Series Outlook

After the first Test was controlled by the bowlers, some are wondering if the rest of series will be brief, low-run Tests.

The venue is essentially the quickest, liveliest pitch in the global cricket, so the batsmen should get a some respite from here onward.

It is not all about the wicket. Credit has to be awarded to the pacemen for getting the ball in the correct areas so often. In general, batsmen on both sides will need to look at how they were dismissed.

Pivotal Match

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

In the historic series, I was part of the national side that dominated England to win 5-0. The rivalry in this nation have a habit of slipping from England quickly.

At the moment, England are only 1-0 down. There would be no coming back from two down, which is why Brisbane is such a crucial game.

They must adapt, or the Ashes will be lost once more.