At times Stokes has set some innovative fields but when Travis Head was tonking our bowlers to all parts at Perth he was nowhere to be seen. Bowlers don’t need a captain when they are bowling well but when a batsman gets on top of a bowler that’s when some advice would help. Their brain gets scrambled and it can be a lonely place trying to work out what to do.
All the England bowlers were getting whacked and that was the time for Ben to take some pressure off and give them clear instructions on what and where to bowl. To me, they were left to their own devices and got a real shellacking. Not good.
No England team has lost the first two Test matches in Australia and then won the next three to win the Ashes so to lose in Brisbane would leave England with a colossal mountain to climb.
A day-night pink ball Test can be a lottery. Batting in daylight on a good pitch is straight forward but under lights there can be moments when the ball zips around for the seamers and batsmen have to hunt the ball. Occasionally there is dew and the seamers cannot grip the ball properly so you are never sure what is going to happen. That adds spice and uncertainty to the whole proceedings.
When a team lose so badly in Perth from a winning position, there is bound to be huge criticism from the media. The response from England has been to close ranks with a siege mentality that everyone is against them. That is not true. We don’t enjoy watching you embarrass yourselves and lose. We want England to win. Ex-players, TV, radio and journalists can’t say good things about bad cricket. It is just not possible. Being forthright and honest about what we see is not a choice. That is what is expected of us.
England were convinced they had the right preparation and could win back the Ashes. So it is simple: Play better and win.
