Test Match Special - The Ashes: England hammered in Perth.

Episode Date: November 22, 2025

Reaction as England are beaten inside TWO days in first Ashes Test at Perth.Simon Mann is alongside former England captain Michael Vaughan, former Australia fast bowler Glenn McGrath, and the BBC’s Chief Cricket Commentator Jonathan Agnew for reaction to England’s embarrassing defeat to Australia in the first Ashes Test at Perth. We also hear from England captain Ben Stokes, coach Brendon McCullum and Australia centurion Travis Head.

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Lovely shot. The ball will just roll away towards the boundary. Might not quite get there, but they've scored the run they need. And that is a quite remarkable victory by Australia. After two days only, Australia are 1-0 up in this Ashes series, where they're remarkable comeback on the second day. lunch England were 59 for one they led by 99 and he thought one good session

of batting in the afternoon and England can take the game away from Australia but Australia bounced back England lost nine wickets in the afternoon session still Australia needs to score the highest score in the match to win 205 they did it no trouble at all in 28.2 overs thanks to

a stunning hundred by Travis Head he's done it before he's done it in world test championship finals he's done it in 50 over World Cup finals and today he did it in the first Ashes test 123 of 83 balls he reached his 169 balls the joint sixth fastest

in test match history and England were brushed aside in five hours of devastating cricket first they collapsed and then Australia romped to victory Michael Vaughn is alongside me well what do you make of that Michael well I'm flat because

it was only five hours 20 minutes ago that England were in control of the test match a hundred runs in front one wicket down that the pitch was doing a little bit and they played quite nicely and after lunch bowling bowl's a good ball to bend up it and from there on in you know I look back to two thousand and twenty three and the first test match at edgebaston the second innings when nathan line got five wickets England played some atrocious shots allowed australia into the contest that coming saw them home with that terrific chase one-nill down so mistakes from England in 2020. You go back to the second test match of that series.

185 for one. Nathan line off the field. The bounce of theory from Pat Cummins, all of a sudden, I think 24 overs later, England the bowled out, so mistakes from England, the two-no down. Two years later, and let's go back to the Indian series in the summer when Jasbitt Bum were bowled, England played Jasbitt Bum with a huge amount of respect. They played him, if I dare say, the attritional test match way where they left him. If he bowled a bad ball, of course they hit it. but they didn't risk too much against Jaspit Bumra. What I've seen here, and I'm so disappointed

because from that position of dominance, yesterday five for 12th at the back end, I look back to that, they should have got $2.50 in the first innings, at least. So there's the mistake. Today to lose nine wickets in that middle session and three for Nort with three big drives from three quality players in Oli Pope, Harry, Joe Root.

The same mistakes two years later. And what you look for in a team is are you improving, are you learning, Are you getting better? Can you change the way that you play at certain times in the situations that the test match dictates to you against quality bowling, this England side at the worst possible time

where they've had the best team for the conditions here in Perth? Everyone fit. The paces yesterday afternoon were absolutely outstanding. The batters have made exactly the same mistakes that they made in 2003. And that's unexcusable because, you know, when you come to this kind of place and you know it's going to be hostile you know there's been many in this isn't reacting to what's happened today because at the end of day one we were saying this is great england's bowling attack but the batting in the first things wasn't good enough and the batters have made the same mistakes as they made two years ago and i'm so disappointed because i thought against india in the summer i thought well i've seen enough to suggest that england are willing to go up and down in the gears and when the field gets spread particularly here the acreage here and the outfits are so big when the field gets spread

You've got it, just knock it into the gaps for ones from twos. I've seen an England batting line up that's been bowled out twice in 67 overs that have only looked to score boundaries. I haven't seen one player go, you know, maybe a bit of Oly Pope, actually. Bit of Ben Duckett at times today, but primarily all the batting lineup have gone out there and gone, do you know what, we're going to play baseball on these massive acreage fields against some decent ball. And it was, by the way, Cummings and Hayeswood aren't played this week.

The conditions have been perfect for England. Hagerwood, not boiling hot. They've got a five-man-tat that's outstanding for this pitch, and the batters have completely let the team down. So, just to sort of narrow it down, the focus really, if you're brutally honest, on that

spell just after lunch, those three players playing the big drives. Yeah, it's the big drives, but it's more the method. The method in the first thing for me was just when Bazball first started, it was a bit chaos. Many of us have been saying, we just want to see

bas-ball with brains. Well, the brains haven't arrived. You know, yesterday afternoon, it was probably the best test cricket I've seen from an England side in terms of the ball in hand, but you go back to the batting and we thought, oh, it's a decent score in the first in it, because we bowled Australia out cheaply. But if you actually look back to the first innings batting, it was really poor. They were in a great position, 160 for 5, Harry Brooke and Jamie Smith going well, and then all of a sudden, what, 15 minutes later, the bowled out, it's just not good enough because they're all trying to whack it to the boundary. They haven't learned, and that's really frustrating for me

because I've seen enough with the England side in the last year that I thought, yeah, they're learning, they are learning. You go back to the overlaps against India, 30 required in the last morning. All right, Chris Wokes has only got one arm, so four wickets left in the tank, and they played all the shots in the world, and they lost to India. They should have strolled that game by just playing with a bit of sense,

and this way is incredibly enjoyable. It's incredibly exciting. I can't see how they win a big series batting in that. fashion. What did you think about the equation, 205 to win? Did you think it was defendable? Yep, I did because today I saw enough movement, I saw enough swing.

There's brilliance from start. Boland found his rhythm. Doggart produced a few tactics that were quite hard for England. Then there was that partnership, Parkinson and Carr's 50. I thought, that's taken to England over 200. The highest score in the match is going to be the fourth inning in the game. It very

rarely happens in Test Match Creek. So yeah, I thought England had a great chance but you know you look at the bowling and you think well they've only had 33 overs rest of it's not 33 overs because they were padding up after probably 15 17 overs so they're mentally not having that switch off from being out

in the middle bowling and when you've got an England side they've got Mark Wood's not played since February Geoffrey's only played two test matches in two years Stokes's had injuries Carson and Gus Atkins have never played in this environment and they would have been emotionally drained from day one

to get them back out bowling after just 30 or overs it's just unacceptable and it's silly for us to think that England can win playing that way down under I have said England have got all the tools required to be successful in Australia but you can't

win if you don't use the tools correctly and this week particularly with the bat in hand they've just not used their tools correctly you've seen it before from Travis Head though haven't we that was stunning brilliant and a great move I believe he went into the dressing room and said I'll open he's done it in test match cricket he obviously does it in whiteboard cricket and that

was a special ashes innings and we'll talk about that innings for a long period of time but um you know i don't actually blame the bowlers this afternoon because i just look at the batting and think you can't lose nine wickets in a session you can't lose five for twelve yesterday you can't just try and crash the ball to the boundary um against some quality bowlers when the bowling just outside off storm on that length we all know the big drive in perth you know with the full face of the blade just outside the offster it's such a risky shot because there's just an extra bit of bounce um i don't want to go back over the preparation but people will start to look at the preparation for the batters you know the bowlers they look like they did a good job in terms of preparing them physically they look ready but you can't play on wickets at bounce a bit if you don't play on wickets at bounds a bit and i'll go back to the preparation i have no problem with playing one game i have a problem with the playing on a pitch at lilacil with the ball bounces knee high surely they could have had the wacker year or so ago could they have said to cricket austral by the way we're coming to australia like india did they had eight days preparation at the wacker where the ball bounces

middle practice, net practice and India won here last year. England, whether they like it or not, all these kind of conversations are going to come back to them because they haven't had that much preparation. They've been absolutely blown away in five hours of test match cricket. From here on in, what do they do?

Where do they go from here? Well, that's why I want to ask you about next. You talk about preparation for this game, but what about the preparation for the next game? So now there's an extra two, three days. So it's something like 11 days, might even be 12, between this game, and the Brisbane match.

Now, there's a two-day game in Canberra, which is a day-night game, and our understanding at the moment is that none of the batters will be going to play in that game. I mean, it's essentially going to be a lion's game against a cricket Australia 11. What do you make of that? I would say, Simon, it's amateurish if they don't go and play.

Now, what harm is playing two days of cricket with a pink ball under lights? Because they don't play much pink ball cricket, do it? What damage is it going to do you as a team and a player to play a pink ball game to prepare yourself to play a pink baller game against Stark. Are we talking about the batters here, not the bowlers, the batters? No, the bowlers even.

I mean, they've played two days of cricket. Two days of tennis. They've been out in the field for what? 70 overs? You're sure. Look, they're professional cricketers. I can't be so old school to suggest that by playing cricket you might get a little bit better. And, you know, when you've been hammered like this,

they'll probably go away and have a week doing what they do, which is they can do whatever they wish. It's their time as management to decide how. how they want to prepare the team. My method would be, you've got a pink ball two-day game, go and grab it, go and take it, play those two days and make sure that you give yourself, just giving yourself the best chance.

It's not being old-school to suggest that, you know, a pink ball is different to a red ball. Playing under the lights is different. Australia have won pretty much every pink ball game in Australia. They've lost ones. I'm not too old-school to suggest that they should play in that game. I think they all should go and play the game. I think it's sensible to do that.

It's not, it's not, and I'd like to know why they wouldn't. You know, they are professional cricketers, and I think they should go and prepare and play that pink ball game. What do you think, what's happened really this afternoon, more than anything, means for the rest of the series? Well, we'll find out. We'll find out. This is the ultimate challenge. It's incredibly tough. Just a few hours ago, I was looking at this England side going, this is incredible.

They've got it. They've got the tools. They've got the attack. I now sit here after just a few hours thinking, I've seen this movie before. Playing in Australia is not easy, and they're going to have to find an incredible amount of mentality, and they're going to have to find some form.

I mean, Zach Crawley's got a pair. I mean, you've got to tell me that Zach Crawley will play a pink ball game when he's just got a pair. You know, you've got a few runs at Lila Kuhl, which counts for nothing now. You know, he's bagged a pair in a test match in Perth. So I'll be very interested to see what goes, but it's a long way back when you go 1-0 down in Australia,

not many England teams have come back if any the two times that we've had success down here in our times have been 86 87 they won the first test 10 in 11 they drew that first test match they've lost the first year so it's an uphill struggle Michael thanks very much indeed we can join Jonathan who's down on the outfield Jonathan well give us your thoughts what's your reaction to what you've seen over the last couple of days I suppose more today really I mean than yesterday, where England had a pretty good day ultimately. They were in control the test match yesterday, but, I mean, today, and what about those last four or five hours of cricket? Yeah, well, I was just thinking, I'm waiting to interview Ben Stokes. It won't be pleasant, but I'm next in the queue. He'll be here any moment. I was just thinking of how we all felt 24 hours ago

compared to how we feel now, really. You know, we just want England to do well. And yesterday, the batting was poor, but my word, those bowlers bowl well, They ran in so hard. It was so controlled. It was aggressive. And I remember coming this morning and really thinking they struck some psychological blows there, not as physical blows on Steve Smith, who's standing just in front of me here, on his elbow, Labashane's elbow, fingers. They bowled absolutely brilliantly. Of course, they didn't have much time to turn around,

and Chavez Head just made a mockery of it. And I think what you have to accept is there a smallish target. If you're a player like head, you can punch a hole in that. And that's exactly. exactly what he was to do. I think I'm next in the firing line here. So here we are. And Ben Stokes is coming towards me. We're just clipping a microphone on here. Well, Ben, I don't know how you tell me

how you feel about that. Yeah, she's probably shell-shocked it a little bit wide-eyed after that. I mean, that was pretty insane out there watching what unfolded, in particular after how, you know, the first day and even, you know, our third innings there with the bat, to watch a bloke come out and then smack a 70-ball-100 and a low-scoring game was, yeah, had to, you know, settle him with plans.

And, you know, when he feels like he's knocking you off everything and he's looking up and the runs are coming down quickly. So, yeah, we went three or four different ways there and she said it was some not to watch. Yeah. At lunch, lead above 100, nine wickets in hand. It was set up, wasn't it, to really put an imposing lead on the board? Yeah, look, I think, you know, we were very confident in having a 200-run lead there for Australia to come out and try and chase.

You know, the way in which the wicket was playing, it was tough. There was a lot in it for the bowlers. I guess looking back on it there, it's, you know, if you are the one who has that opportunity with being out there in the middle, I don't know, just making sure in mentality of, you know, you've never got enough. I think the guys who obviously had success on there with that wicket were the ones who were brave enough to be able to not bowl us off

what was the dangerous ball. And, look, Harry, Travis there, even Marnison, that, chase there. They were very critical and very clinical in making sure that we weren't able to run up and consistently bowl the balls that we wanted to put it because they're putting in with the pressure all the time. And having bowled so well yesterday, I mean, it was a brilliant bowling performance yesterday

to get you back into the game, actually, with 170 on the board. Yeah, it was. Look, and it shows, you know, we came out here full of confidence, don't know how well that we bowled in the first sentence. And, you know, from the get-go, obviously Travis coming out there at the top of the order. There was obvious intent there from Australia to, from the get-go, not allow us to do that. And he's an amazing player to watch when he gets going. He's got an incredible hand-eye coordination. And when he gets going like that, he's very hard to stop.

So the first time he's done it. So I've got to give a lot of credit to the way in which he was just brave enough to do that. I mean, it was just, yeah, it was unbelievable. What about some of England's dismissals, Ben, the batting? Are you happy with the form that England's batsmen are in? Are you, the way that a number of wickets fell looked soft? Well, look, look at how the runs were scored on their, I guess. The guys who had success were the ones who were really putting the ballers under pressure

and knock them off their line and lengths. Two of the best batters in the three, the best batters in the world. Joe Root minus Steve Smith, in particular in that first sit-ins, you know, if Steve Smith minus Labershane can't lay a bat on the ball, you know, it's a pretty tricky wicket, so, yeah, tough one. Look, nice long break. We'll let this hurt because it does, and yeah, we've got to get over this and, you know, get back training, training hard as we always do, and then get ourselves to Brisbane and come away with the result we want there.

Yeah, and it is a long break, and you've got three extra days now of a break, and there's a two-day game with a pink ball before the Brisbane match. I think people coming out, Ben, would expect England's players to play in that, especially the batsmen. But why not, I think they would say, is there going to be a change of plan? No, we've operated in this way where we know that the preparation that we put in is correct in the way in which works for us. You know, as I said before, I've been asked this question a lot. That's how it was done a long time ago. We prepare incredibly well, we work incredibly hard every single day that we get the opportunity to work on our game.

And that's what we'll keep on doing because we believe and we trust in our process. And if the results don't go the way in our favour, that's not going to differ from that because, depending on how we know that we put every little bit of ounce of ourselves into our training, and we know and believe that this is the best way for this team to operate. Well, I suppose the proof will be the pudding, what are the eating, but why not play it?

I mean, it's kind of they've laid on a pink ball game for you under lights to prepare for the next test match. Just answered that question, I guess. All right, okay, Ben. Okay, Ben. Well, thanks certainly, and it's been an interesting cane. Thank you, thank you. Thank you, Ben. Right, there we go.

Simon, if you can hear me up there. Yeah, I can hear you, Jonathan. I don't know whether you want to comment on that, Jonathan, or not. Well, I can only ask the questions, but he is very, very firm, wasn't he? I mean, I asked the questions, and those were the answers, but Ben sometimes isn't an easy person to deal with. especially in defeat, as people who listen to this program regularly will know. But I ask the questions, people, I think, will expect them to go out there and play this pink ball game that's been laid on specially for them.

And I think what's important, I mean, I didn't ask him because he was of no mood to answer it. I don't think anymore. But on the one hand, I don't think you can say that there's not been preparation before this first test because it wouldn't have been good enough. That's why we went off to Lylek Hill and did our own game. And then to say, well, hang on a minute, there's a pink ball game that has been actually laid on specially. before you in Canberra to play under lights before that pink ball test match and say no thanks we're not going to play in it so I don't think you can have it both ways can you well no I mean I'm sure people have their opinions at home what about what did you make of what he said

there it struck me that he was saying that actually Travis Head played as we wanted to play really you know actually that was the approach on this pitch and it worked for him and it came off He's a fabulous player. Rather than actually the batting approach was a bit too aggressive. Actually, he was saying, no, Head showed us or showed everyone. That's how you've got to play on this surface. Yeah, and I think the answer to that is if it, I mean, I don't think that Head played as loosely as England played. He's got a magnificent eye.

He played some terrific shots. And in the last 60 runs of his were fed, basically. Cannon, fodder, short balls. men out in the deep he knew exactly what he was going to get and so he just stood there and thrashed it there was no sort of second-guessing no second-guessing required and I think the difference is that

England you watch Harry Brooke charging down the wicket and you see some headless shots play the chasing of the wide balls and so on that to me is more form than anything else you know it's that's when you I caught behind like Brooks I'm not going to pick on Brooke all the time but that shot to that

for me, it was a poor shot. He's just coming, it was his third ball. There's really only likely to be one winner there, driving with a front foot way away from the ball, bat away from the body. I mean, it's just a classic loose wicket dismissal. And in a low-scoring game, you've got to knuckle down, you've got to fight, you've got to score the runs. And I don't mean batting necessarily like Australia did yesterday, where they got completely bogged down. But it's controlled aggression. And we've talked about this approach at England, how and it's very refreshing on one hand but it can veer very easily

into recklessness and that I just think of some of England's batting wasn't necessarily reckless it was loose in a low scoring game it was loose and it looked like they weren't in form and you know for Crawley you have a pair Roots scored eight runs in the game

you can go through the whole list of those who haven't scored runs but what are they going to be doing for the next 11 days when they've got the offer of of playing in a match that's been especially laid on for them with the conditions that they're going to face in Brisbane. If I were a bowler, I think I wouldn't mind a one day run out. If it's a two-day

game, but he'd back one day, you bowl the next. That would be useful for all the bowlers who are going to play with a pink ball in Brisbane. I mean, I don't really see how you can argue against it if I'm honest. I think I'm stating the obvious. I think anybody listening and reflecting what's happened and people who are flying out to Brisbane for that test

match will expecting and to be properly prepared for it now they might go out there and win they've they've almost they pushed Australia here until the last three hours or so it might come off but if it doesn't my word they are leading themselves very very open to a

great deal of criticism and that has always been the way leading into this series with the preparation and as I said a few moments ago on the one hand you can say well we weren't sure of the quality of the opposition that we'd be given before this first test match. That's why we're controlling it

ourselves and that's why we're playing our own game. That was England's argument. That was their reason for playing that game at Lilac Hill amongst themselves. Well, you've got a game. You've got a pink ball game against Australians in Canberra before the next test match. You're one-nill down.

Why on earth would you not play in that game? I think it's so, I think it's obvious. Hangas, when England have done well in Australia, they haven't lost the first test match or they've won it. They've lost here again and we've seen what's happened on recent tours. Give us sort of the context of losing here and what that means for the rest of the series in your opinion. Well I think most people with their predictions that we do

which are always difficult as we know we have a bit of fun with them but I think most people who predicted an England victory and this is certainly I mean in the series this is certainly in my case I predicted an England win in the series if they won here and and so my prediction are now got out of the window, I think, because I think it'll be extremely difficult for them to come back and to win here. And I just, I mean, I think the whole thing, Simon, is, you know, you get one chance at this, really, for most players, most players get one ashes too, some get two. But for Ben Stokes, you know, I interviewed before the game, about, you know, defining his captaincy and what it would mean to him flying home, having won the ashes, you've just got to look at yourself at the end and say, have I given myself really? and if we as a team really absolutely given ourselves the best possible chance of winning this series.

And if you say yes, we have, and you've lost, there's nothing you can do about that. But I think if they don't win this series and if they lose in Brisbane, having turned down this opportunity of a practice match in Canberra, I think the knives are going to go flying. I really do. And people in senior positions at the ECB

will come under a huge amount of pressure from people, all those who are coming out and that's not a reason incidentally for being under pressure that people are coming out to watch them but people are, people are saving it's life savings

to come out and come and support their team and if in the view of those people and cricket lovers in England feel that actually they haven't given their best they haven't given it their best shot they haven't gone off to Canberra and played with a pink ball it's a completely different game

I mean I know from commentating when you commentate on the first over of a pink ball match you're searching for the ball your eyes are kind of where is it It's a strange looking object It often goes with sort of a streak It's different The lights are on

It's a completely different game Why on earth not Take the opportunity to practice it And I think if they lose in Brisbane They'll give me some very angry people around And people at the ECB You're going to get their tin hats on The TMS podcast

From BBC Radio 5 live Right time to hear more From the England camp now Brendan McCullum The England head coach Has been speaking to Jonathan Brendan, I guess that's been a bit of a whirlwind, I guess, today particularly. Yeah, probably, I didn't see that one coming, to be honest.

I thought 200 was a pretty good score, but I thought the way Travis said play was unbelievable. Could we have done different things? Could we have done more? Yeah, of course you can. Whenever you end up on the wrong side of the result, you start looking at those types of things. But look, we're very disappointed that we've lost within two days. We know how disappointing the fans will be. and from our point of view, we'll be keeping the faith in ourselves

and we'll head towards the next opportunity. But we've seen that if you take a backward step or if you're not quite on it, then Australia are a very good cricket team. And we're strong in our belief of how we want to play and we're just got to keep moving forward with that. Do you think the batting the scores were below par in both your innings?

Well, by the way, he ran down the score, yeah. You're probably right, but to be honest, I thought 200 was a good score. I thought it was a very defendable score. I think, you know, if you were able to hold that length that was most dangerous on that pitch, that you're able to challenge both edges, you've got good steepling bounce, and that tennis ball bounce can create some uncertainty as well. But unfortunately, we were knocked off our length by the player who has been very effective in different formats around the world, and he has total conviction of his methods.

And he put us under that pressure, and we weren't able to hold the length that we were It sounds like the bowlers were kind of, perhaps you're not entirely blaming the bowlers today, as it were, sorry, yesterday as it were, because they, I mean, they were brilliant on the first day. They kind of, they got in the back in the game, in fact. Oh, absolutely, yeah. I mean, I thought that's as good a bowling performance in the first innings that we've seen in the time that we've been in the job. And, you know, we know that when we came here, we were very deliberate around our blueprint and trying to hit Australia with high pace and hostility. And I thought the way that we were. we bowled in that first innings was exactly that. We've got to find ways to give them more downtime so that they can still operate at those high paces and with hostility and that's fine ways with bat in hand to be able to ensure that we don't lose wickets in clumps,

particularly against Australia because when you do, they back themselves in and they put you under immense pressure. We've got some work to do, no doubt, but one thing that we won't be changing is our blueprint. We'll stay true to that and we'll stay tight as a team and as we have done in the past when we've lost games we'll keep moving forward

and make sure that confidence levels when we hit the next game are as high as possible. I know optics aren't everything, Baz, and this is a touchy subject, clearly, because I've just interviewed Ben Stokes on this subject, but this pink ball game coming up,

having lost the first test, and with so much time before the second test, which is a pink ball game under lights, please explain why it's felt best for and not to be playing in that game? Well, ideally, if we had to go on five days, it wouldn't have been enough time to be able to do so anyway.

Yeah, but there is now. Yeah, look, we don't do anything for optics, aggers, that's the way we are. We believe in our methods, and we get it right sometimes, and we get it wrong sometimes, and all we try and do is give ourselves the best chance of how we believe we think we can win an Asher's series or a test series. Over next, we'll let the dust settle on this tonight, and over the next couple of days we'll work out,

whether guys going and playing in that game is the right thing or whether keeping the team tight and making sure morale doesn't drop is the alternative. So we'll work on that and we'll come up with a plan. But if a Batson comes to you, one who hasn't scored runs in this game, said, look, I really want to play. You would be able to play, would he?

I'm sure he would, yeah. I mean, I haven't even thought about it just yet, to be honest, because I sort of planned on us being a little bit longer than two days. We'll work on it over. We'll let the dust settle tonight and then we'll have a good think about it tomorrow. You have seen that Australia's vulnerable, haven't you?

And the pace bowlers that strikes and blows in this game? Yeah, well, I think the pitch that we got here at Perth is going to be probably quite similar to some of the surfaces we get. They look like they're going to have a little bit in them with good bounce, and that's what we expected when we came down here, which is why we stopped our bowling line up with the high pace that we've got. So there is opportunities there. There is opportunities to score as well.

There's opportunities to put their bowlers under pressure. We've just got to do it more often and we've got to do it for longer. But what won't be changing is our blueprint. We believe in what we're doing. We believe in the style that we've set over the last couple of years and the players that we've got

and we'll see where we land. Thank you, Bazel. I appreciate you doing it. Thanks, thank you. You're listening to the TMS podcast from BBC Radio 5 Live. Glenn McGrath is with me. Well, we did our predictions. Glenn, you went for 5-0.

it's 1-0 after 1 but first on the point Jonathan was making there about that practice match are we making too much of it in the modern era or the fact that this game has finished three days early

and there is the opportunity for some of the batters like Zach Crawley for example and Joe Root experienced player but they haven't got runs here and there is that opportunity what do you think?

Yeah now it's interesting that they've turned it down having considered it, I'm not sure what else they have in mind. They have to have some cricket between now and then. To play a pink ball match under lights, I know Monica Oval in Canberra is completely different to what they're going to get in Brisbane at the Gabba, but it's a good opportunity just to get used to it.

And so, yeah, I'm not sure what they've got in replace of it because they have to have some form of cricket. If it's just nets, sometimes I think that's not. the best way to prepare, but to have a game. So, yeah, but it's interesting listening to Ben Stokes' comments there. They're very strong in the way they go, their process, and sometimes it feels like they just put up a barrier to everyone, not just the opposition, not the media, opposition media, but also their own media and players.

So it's an interesting way, no negativity, no anything. but then they also, I think, get quite defensive quite quickly. So, yeah, you've got to take every opportunity to improve yourself and prepare as well as you can. So maybe they'll miss an opportunity, but we'll wait and see. Well, Brisbane, a lot will depend on the toss. A lot will depend on when you're bowling with a new ball underlights, when you're batting against the new ball underlites.

Those things make a massive difference in the game, even if you've prepared as well as you're. can. Let's go back to this game. What did you think at lunchtime today? What was your hunch at lunchtime? I thought I could see very similar to what happened last year against India here. Up until that stage it was nearly a carbon copy of what happened last year. And from last year, India went on. You know, Joiswell, Brett Coley, got good hundreds, really set a big target in that fourth innings for Australia and they weren't up for the task and I thought that's the way it was going to go.

Therefore, what did you make of England's batting in that afternoon session? Yeah, no, it's interesting. There's two things where I think they made a mistake. The first one is in Australia on these conditions, especially one of the fastest, bounties pitchers in the world, and we've always said you need to know which balls to leave. Early on, you've got to get used to the pace of the ball. Leaving the ball is nearly as good as playing a forward defence. and there was a lot of balls they got out on

where they could have quite easily left. They weren't there to drive. They were driving on the up with the ball, moving in the air and off the pitch with bounce. That's just asking for trouble. You're going to just, they're just a lot of touring teams come in Australia and they nicked those, and they did all that today.

So they need to leave the ball better in these conditions. And the second one, if they'd given themselves time just to get and get used to the pace, what they did in the first innings was they actually came at Boland a little bit more. They put him off his length, and he didn't know what to do. Boland didn't bowl very well in that first innings because they upset his length.

In the second innings there, they didn't really charge it. They played from the crease, and then they wanted to play every ball, and all of a sudden he's in the zone. He's bowling where he wants to bowl, and the batsmen are playing shots that he wants them to. So all of a sudden, the bowler's controlling it. They're not upsetting his length, and he's in the zone. and those three wickets he got changed the game.

Yeah, you ended up with four for 33 after going north for 62 in the first innings. England, there was a revival towards the end of their innings at Carson and Atkinson and then three players caught on the boundary, but you can't, I don't think you can blame the lower order. You know, they're going to be aggressive and actually that was serving them quite well in a way, although they might have been able to eat out another 20 or 30 if they played in a slightly different way with the fields set back. So 205 to win the game. I'll ask you what you thought at lunchtime.

205 to win the game. Were you confident Australia had it? There was a good chance for them? Or did you see England as favourites then? Well, it depends on how Australia came out and batted. If they batted like the first innings, then it's going to be hard work. And they're going to need a lot of overs

to chase down these runs. So, but the big thing was one for 100 at lunch. you know if Australia are chasing 205 they would take that at lunch you know every single time so as it worked out they probably got England probably got a few more runs than what Australia thought they would have or what they should have got

but the way Atkinson and Carr's batted at the end there but the other thing is that's when England scored the runs was when they put the field back and they bowled short and then England did the exact same thing so they didn't really learn by watching what happen there. And then you've got to give it to Australia. They were brave. They sent out Travis headed as opener to take them on. And it was such a contrast to Australia's first innings. And that's probably what you need. And that's why England do so well at chasing because they back

themselves and all of a sudden you get on a roll, the pressure's back on the bowling side. And England was found wanting because of the plans that they adopted. It was okay, the batsmen has to get him is going to get himself out that's the only way by bowling short with a spread field so many runs and they didn't stop the scoring there was what was there one maiden over in the whole innings so if you can't stop the scoring and you've got a short small target

to defend things are going to go from bad to worse very quickly and that's what happened today absolutely they certainly did Travis Head without their magnificent innings 69 ball 100 it was a strange one really I mean suddenly the pitch looked flatter the boundaries look smaller

the outfield look quicker he is such a fabulous player and it would be wrong I mean inevitably there's an inquest into what went wrong for England but sometimes you just got to say and Ben Stokes did that to be fair if someone comes out and plays like that

took it on as well so right I'm going to open and we've seen him do it before it was a fabulous innings oh without a doubt and maybe that's it we just saw incredibly special innings by an Australian batsman and that's what won the test for Australia

rather than lost it for England. So, yeah, these things happen but watching Travis head the way he went about it was more controlled. He knew the areas he wanted to hit to and he knew the shots that he didn't want to play and he put the England bowlers off their lines and lengths and occasionally when,

sometimes when you're defending a fairly small target you come out and you bowl to take wickets rather than bowl to the conditions to build pressure and if you bowl to the conditions with your plans that's how you take wickets rather than the other way around and if you go chasing wickets all of a sudden you're leaking runs everywhere the pressure builds and so I think it was a bit of everything but you can't take anything away from the innings that Travis had played that was a match-winning innings I thought he should have got play the match that changed this whole game from England's

England being in control to Australia winning comfortably in the end we're going to hear from Travis Head now who made that sensational hundred today he's been speaking to Corbyn Middlemass and the ABC Radio team who first asked him what his game plan was yeah no game plan

I was actually a proper opener for the first few overs as you were was that to help Jakey a little bit as well oh it's never letting him face the first one good boy good boy well I think well I felt like there's been a moment where I could open the batting potentially at some stage I thought we had a couple of options to go with and luckily Ron and gave in and

let me do it but I was pretty keen to go out there and I felt like the way they played the way they boled me as well I knew the short pitch stuff was coming yeah knew the short stuff was coming at some stage I thought if I could get out there get going get to a start I'd make it easy for the guys behind me and that was it worked perfectly didn't it we had your state coach Ryan Harris on grandstand last weekend and we spoke about you and your form leading in And Ryan said, look, he's aware of the fact that he's only got his one score over 40 in his last 20 hits. What did you do in the lead-up to be ready to go to be able to produce that kind of knock,

despite the fact that the runs weren't necessarily there in domestic cricket? Nothing. A couple of T20. Look, there's a lot of T20 in that. So one shield game down at Tazzy. 51,000 is a lot different than three people and two degrees down in Blumston last week. No, I had five weeks off last year leading into the test series when Harrison was born. So I was sort of, there's no doubt that I was clutching a little bit because you're playing,

that you want to get scores, no doubt about that. But I knew in the back of the mind that I'd come off five weeks last year and start pretty well. So it's never really fazed me. I love this. Don't get me wrong, like, it's hard not to get up for this. I trained all four days leading into the test, which I'd never do. Just because I felt like Tazzi was a tough wicket. I had a lot in the indoors at Blunston.

Subbo through to me a fair bit. And then I knew coming here that I trained all four days. I just wanted to find that rhythm. And I felt I had it in the first innings. Shit, I was guilty that I hit it to, but I only bloke on the leg side of the first innings. But then to get my opportunity to get in against a new ball. I knew that I could hopefully get off to a start

and get them a rhythm and I did that, so please. Australia's been cycling through a few openers. You've opened before, obviously, in the subcontinent, first time in Australia, perhaps out of necessity with Usman's injury. But is this a sign of things to come? Do you want to be a test opener going forward? I only opened two hours ago, so let's get through that. How you best went fresh?

Is that what you feel like all the time? Because last year you said you had the five weeks off with the birth of your son, then just go and play? Well, there's a few times I've come in off break. So it gives you confidence and then vice versa. I just knew I'm old enough now. I played enough cricket to know what my prep needs to be. I know what I need to get more.

I try to stay on a level playing field. If I'm not getting runs in the middle, step it up at training and try and get rid of them. I'm scoring runs like hopefully today more often than not, then training drops off a little bit. Try and keep a level thing. So I just keep mentally fresh. I think the hardest part about this game is the mental side.

The other side of it, the wicket, it didn't look as bad as the scores showed. I mean, at the end, we had one, two, down, eight wickets and an end. But was it a pretty good wicket or difficult at times? Difficult at times when they got a ride. I felt it got quicker last night. And there were a few cracks, but they didn't really play much of a role. I'm almost looking down. It's more intimidating looking down.

I feel like if it went another, if it were tomorrow afternoon, I reckon it would have started playing some tricks and would have been difficult about. And that's why, I guess, a couple of sleep at sight, when you lose a toss and you look back last, year batting last on it and day four that was extremely tough last year so I'm thankful that we've been able to get the job done before it's got naughty Travis were you a bit surprised that English went to the shortball tactics so quickly no well I was hoping not to go too hard I'm gonna hit that six

mid off and Stokesy cracked it and went all right that's it and everyone's going back I thought I'd might have got another 20 more runs before I thought I thought I might got another 20 or 30 more out of him make nick and nudge him around a little bit keep the field up and did you get any meows no I'm what I'm I think the counts do, we've been counting him. I think I'm three-two-up. I think he had three leaves. He's left one today and I think I've left two for the game.

So I didn't think I'd be sitting after the first test. One, obviously after the first day, we're 1-0 up, and I've got one up on Duck at the minute. So he might not leave him any in the first. But he kept me a count yesterday today when I left one, so he's a good man. Yeah, he's a good man. How do you, how does the team, I mean,

what was the chat at most time when they were 1 to 50, led by 100? And it looked like it was deliberately taken a bit wider to him, make him drive on the up? Yeah, I felt like we moved through plans pretty well. I thought, unfortunately, we were going to let him get away a little bit with the short stuff, but that's always going to go one way the other first innings. We took five for 12 or saying silly.

And then today, cast, and I thought Gus played really well against it. So we're going to have moments throughout the series where they either fly or it doesn't. But yeah, we took a little bit wider. There's no real chat. I think the team's pretty calm. Ronnie and Dan Vitori go about their stuff with the bowlers and smudge. But I thought we moved in and out of plans really well. We kept it straight.

We tried to suck the energy out of it and try to get the momentum back with certain fields and thought through the first two days with how aggressive they can be. We maneuvered through that really, really well. We did exceptionally well on the first innings when Brookie got gone and I think that was, I'll probably have my head around 300 though at lunch break.

I thought, oh, if we can keep them under 300, I thought that was chastable. Anything over 300 was going to be tough work, so we bowed beautifully. When did you know you were going to open? When I ran down the race and we sort of all got in a group and what the hell is going on.

So we were sort of sending message back. Matt Kelly's had the biggest day ever as 12th man. He's come over and thought he's going to get the easiest day and he's charged. Oh, this going off and boys are going off everywhere. We're trying to get info back to go who's opening in the batting and then lucky the tea break come at a perfect time. So beans were probably going a little bit when I ran off knowing that I wanted it.

But the tea break coming a good time. I actually looked at the screen and the boys were already out in the middle and I was still sitting there looking at the clock. So I had to rush out here and Wethers were standing waiting for me. So I was best refreshed there. How were the two deputons, mate? Obviously teammates? Yeah, I thought they did an exception.

on the job. I thought Doggy battered away and was able to get that huge breakthrough of Brookie in the first innings. He bowled aggressive. I thought when he pitched it up, he looked dangerous and I thought weather's played beautifully today. Look, he would have liked to go on with it, but the way he played fast bowling, the way he was out put pressure on, the ways I have leave the ball. I think that's the blueprint for Jake. And if he's going to do that, this job for a long period of time, I think that's a blueprint. He plays an attack like that and get through it and gets it, I think, 30, 25 or 30. It's a good starting point for him. Well played, mate. We're so proud of you.

Everyone in Australia. Cheers. Thank you. Well, he did play well. An exuberant Travis Head in his post-match reaction to ABC Radio. Andy Zaltzman with me. Well, inevitably in a game like that.

It's finished so quickly. Lots to talk about statistically. What are the main headlines, Zaltz? Well, there's quite a lot of main headlines after what I think is objectively one of the most disastrous days on the field for England. English test cricket in recent decades, to be honest, after all the expectations.

It's the third shortest completed Ashes test, so excluding games that were abbreviated and ended in a draw due to rain that's ever been played. The ninth shortest test played anywhere of just 847 balls in the match. The second shortest completed test in Australia. A rare occurrence in the fourth innings being the highest to win a test. It's only happened fewer than 30 times in test. This is only the second Ashes test to be won in which the fourth innings chase

was the highest of the four innings of the match. The other was the 2019 Headingley test when Ben Stokes scored that phenomenal 135. It's the first two-day test in the Ashes since 1921. Australia's innings 7.23 per over at the previous Ashes record

run rate in any innings of 20 overs or more was England at Old Trafford in 2023 and their 592 came at 5.49 per over and this was after Australia got it under three and over in the first innings they hit just nine fours in 45 overs in their first innings and Travis Head in his innings four sixes and 16 fours in just 83 balls 120 off the last 69 deliveries his last 39 balls he had a six and 12 fours and making the 72 two runs. The sixth fastest test century of all time, the joint third fastest for Australia, the joint fastest ever by an opener alongside David Warner, 69 Ball 100, and the second fastest

Ash's 100 behind Adam Gilchrist's 100, just across the road from here in the Wacker in the 2002-3 series. And another rare thing, a winning fourth inning century in Ash's cricket. There's only been four in the last 60 years, only 12 in Ash's history. And this is only the third player to score a fourth inning century in victory in an Ash's test in Australia since 1928. And he's the first ever to do it in the first test of an Ashes series. Mitchell Stark, 10 wickets in the test year, his first innings analysis, 7 for 58, was the second best in the opening innings of an Ashes series. Tenfers in the first

tests of Ashes series only the fifth since the Second World War, Alec Bedford in 1953, Terry Alderman for Australia in 89, Shane Warn here in Australia in 94-5 and Jimmy Anderson in the Trembridge test of 2013 the others.

And his analysis against Joe Root, Ben Stokes and Zach Crawley combined six wickets for five runs in 32 balls. He dismissed Root twice without Root scoring a run and the second bowler to do that in Root's

test career it's that first time in Roots 35 test Ashes career he's been out in single figures in both innings

Zach Crawley's pair was only the third by an opener in the first test of an Ashes series the others were a long, long time ago and only the fourth

Ashes pair by an England opener ever. England's bowlers took some horrific tap today after being so brilliant in the first innings.

Gus Atkinson and Joffra Archer both had their most expensive overs in their test careers. Ben Stokes 17 runs off his second over. That was the joint most expensive in his career. So that's, I think, just some of the stats from this game. England's 67.3 overs is the third fewest they have faced in any test match. And the only two tests in which they were bowled out in both innings in fewer balls

in the 405 they managed in this test were in 1888. and in 1904 and only the eighth team ever in Tess to be bowled out in under 35 overs in both innings and only the second to do so since 1932 so we've had a lot of stats in this game which are sort of harking back to the early days of cricket when a lot of matches were played on on treacherous pitches

this is more I guess a sign of how England plays in the 2023 Ashes there wasn't a single team score below 220 and we had the first three innings of this series all under 1-1-1-200, under 175 in fact. So we're seeing different cricket, England's, we've seen through the bas-ball era, pitches where the ball does quite a bit

have often scuppered at England's batting. They've generally been much more productive as a team on flatter pitches. We've saw in the last ashes, the ball did quite a lot. This pitch, obviously, he gave quite a bit to the bowlers, and it's something that England will have to address if they want to have any chance of turning this around. That was certainly exhaustive, but actually, in lots of headline stats there.

Thanks very much, Zoltz. Right, you can watch highlights on the BBC Sport website and app with our full highlights show available on the BBC Eye Player alongside the Ashes debrief with Alex Hartley and guests. We'll have podcasts throughout the week on BBC Sounds plus plenty more Ashes programming for you to enjoy. And there's commentary on England's tour match in Canberra next weekend and then we have the second test from the Gabba,

which starts on December the 4th. You're listening to the TMS podcast from BBC Radio 5 Live.