England’s decision to play an all-pace team for their first Ashes Test at Perth had been successful at the start; however, as indicated by Australia’s second-innings counterattacks, this tactic would encounter difficulties. As such, James Anderson, England’s former great, offered his perspective on the tactical errors, the lessons to be learned, and what direction England could take before heading to the Gabba for their second Test. The all-pace tactic was effective during the first innings.

England’s starting XI at Perth consisted of

Jofra Archer, Ben Stokes, Mark Wood, Gus Atkinson, and Brydon Carse, so they could take advantage of the pace-friendly conditions of WACA.

The plan provided instant benefits:

Australia was bowled out in their first innings for 132. This resulted in a 40-run lead for England. Ben Stokes was the standout performer, taking 5 wickets for 23 runs and ripping through Australia’s batting order.

“The all-pace attack performed beautifully during the first innings,” stated Anderson. “We landed some early blows against them.”

A General Strategy to Counter Australia’s Strategy

Australia had all the firepower they needed! Supported by Travis Head’s brilliant 123 runs (at an extraordinary strike rate of 123.49) from 83 balls, Australia outclassed its hosts’ top-order with a remarkable 800-run lead that was untouched at the close of day 2.

According to Anderson, Australia adapted quickly after the first innings:

“Travis Head sat comfortably on the back foot because he realised early the English bowlers were trying to bowl short. And when they did bowl short, they were giving him the areas where he could score.”

Anderson also pointed out that the lack of variety in the pace attack, such as an off-spinner or any alternative fast bowlers, enabled Australia to have complete dominance over the English bowling lineup.

“Without a frontline spinner to bowl only four overs and change the pace of the match, England’s bowlers are under no real threat, allowing Head to bat freely,” Anderson said.

The Decision to use Shoaib Bashir

Although Shoaib Bashir was named in England’s squad for the series, he did not play in Perth. Nevertheless, Anderson stated that he felt it was likely that England would keep to a similar strategy for the day-night Test match at Brisbane, where seam bowlers are expected to play an important role under the lights.

“I think that is in all of the players’ minds, and it would not be a huge surprise to see them go with the same XI,” he remarked.

As we look forward to the second Test in The Ashes series, England is faced with a major tactical judgement. Should they continue to use an all-pace bowling line-up or should they make some changes to shake up and disrupt the flow of the Australian batting lineup? This next Test at The Gabba (4th December) will play an important role in determining how The Ashes series will be played as part of the ICC World Test Championship (2025-27).

Some key factors for England to think about going forward are:

A spinner or variation in pace; 

The weather and pitch conditions in Brisbane;

How to prevent key batsmen, such as Travis Head, from dominating the game.

With the current state of play in The Ashes series, England must be innovative and flexible if they want to recover from Perth.