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For Australia to fight back and win the first Ashes Test so convincingly as they did, one questions what scars will be inflicted upon the England team.

How will they respond for the rest of series?

Unexpected Turnaround

I do not think no one anticipated what happened 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 following day, 105 ahead with nine wickets in hand. The pitch was still doing plenty. It looked so tough for Australia to re-enter the match.

Shot Selection Woes

From that moment, England's shot selection was their major downfall. Scott Boland put in arguably his poorest performance in an Australia shirt in the first innings, then turned it around in the second to be the driving force for the recovery.

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

Trying to score off those deliveries, with those shots, is the one thing you just should avoid as a batsman in Australia.

Adaptation Issues

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

There is much discussion about England's method, their aggressive style. I witnessed it firsthand during the 2023 Ashes in the UK. Under their captain and their coach, they can be quite rigid when it comes to adhering to that strategy.

It is fine on slow, low pitches. On the quick, lively pitches of Australia it is a method fraught with danger. If England do not reassess, they will struggle for the whole series.

Bowling Perspective

As a paceman, I would have consistently believed in the game against this England team.

I relied on my accuracy, backing myself to land the identical area around off stump, with a bit of bounce and movement.

Even if this England team was performing strongly, I'd be eagerly anticipating at the idea of bowling to them, knowing a single error could result in multiple wickets.

Skill and Resilience

There are occasions when England can be a high-quality team. They have good players. Good players have skill, but great players have the psychological strength and attitude to be adaptable enough for the conditions.

They would been stunned at the way things unfolded at the venue, 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 get better.

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 the longest format, all disciplines require a backup strategy. Frequently it seems England have a single approach, then nowhere to go if that fails.

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

Brilliant Innings

In defense to England's pace attack, they were hit by one of the memorable Ashes innings by the Australian batsman.

His 69-ball hundred was the second quickest by an Australian man in Ashes cricket, 12 balls behind the legendary keeper at the Waca 19 years ago – a match I participated in.

My old mate Gilchrist said Head's innings was the better of the two. I agree. Considering the challenging nature of the pitch and the situation of the match circumstances, the innings will be remembered as a highlight of cricket lore.

Strategic Decisions

It was a courageous move for Australia to promote the batsman up the order for the second innings.

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

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

In moving the aggressive batsman, who has the experience of opening in limited overs, Australia were able to take the attack to England.

Future Considerations

Now there is the issue of what Australia will do for the next match. I'd like to see them stick with the method of aggression at the beginning.

That could mean Head remains, meaning someone like the all-rounder enters the middle order, or Head could go back to number five and the all-rounder or the keeper could move to the opening. It would be tough on the batsman, but sometimes 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 rest of series will be short, low-scoring Tests.

The venue is pretty much the quickest, liveliest pitch in the world, so the batters should get a some relief from here onward.

It is not entirely about the pitch. Credit has to be given to the bowlers for delivering the ball in the correct areas so often. In general, batsmen on both sides will need to look at how they got themselves out.

Crucial Next Test

Now we move on to the next venue, and the vastly different day-night conditions for the second Test.

In the historic series, I was a member of the Australia team that dominated England to win 5-0. The rivalry in this country have a tendency of slipping from England quickly.

At the present, England are just one match 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 gone again.