Ashes 2023: Australia get criticism from former players over defensive opening day tactics

Birmingham, June 17 (IANS) Former cricketers have been very critical of defensive tactics from Australia during day one of the first Ashes Test against England at Edgbaston. At stumps on day one, Australia were 14/0 after England declared their first innings on 393/8, thanks to 118 not out from Joe Root as well as fifties from Jonny Bairstow and Zak Crawley.

Zak Crawley began Ashes 2023 by crunching Pat Cummins' first ball of the day to the boundary rope. But it was the field placements from Cummins which left onlookers surprised, like placing a deep point in the first over and when Nathan Lyon was introduced into the attack, there were four fielders on the boundary ropes.

"They've gone defensive straight away. I must admit, I'm not a huge fan of that deep backward point as a starting option ? if the scoreboard continually ticks over, batsmen never feel under pressure at all," said former Australia captain Ricky Ponting in commentary.

Similar views were echoed by former fast bowler Brett Greeves.

"What concerned me is that first ball of the Test match, Pat Cummins -- the no.3 bowler in the world, bowling to Zak Crawly, who from an English perspective has been under pressure? with a deep backward point.

He offers a bit of width, Crawley pounced, it was a beautiful shot but it really set the tone for the rest of the day. While I don't mind deep backward point as a tactic? that's got to be a Plan B or a Plan C," said Greeves to SEN Radio.

"Plan A has to be, ?I'm Pat Cummins, I'm the no.3 bowler in the world, I'm not ceding power to you upfront? you have to earn my respect, you have to earn the right for me to drop the deep point and that's going to come through you taking risks'," he added.

The defensive tactics from Australia meant Crawley raced his way to 61 off 73 balls before being taken out by Scott Boland.

"When you start with that defensive Plan B and it doesn't work, you can't then go to Plan A. Crawley is 45 off 40 balls, you can't then go, ?okay, we're now going to Plan B which is to bring up deep point'.

Then you're looking to Plan C which is bumpers and funky, unconventional fields. So I was really disappointed in the Australians. That's not the Australian way. This defensive style of ceding power to the opposition and being spooked by BazBall? we are the best bowling attack in the world," added Greeves.

Former England players were also surprised that Australia went on the defensive very quickly on day one. ?

"It feels a bit un-Australian. They normally fight fire with fire. I've never seen Australia with four men on the boundary," former England captain Alastair Cook said on BBC Test Match Special.

"Australia have got it wrong, but from an England perspective it is fantastic to see Australia so defensive. I just think first morning of an Ashes series, I would have thought that Pat Cummins would have said, ?OK England, give it a go. We don't mind. Hit us for six fours ? a couple of sixes, no problem. Then we will go to plan B'. I think that they went straight to plan-B," said former skipper Kevin Pietersen on Sky Sports.