David Warner has the message now – that there is no need to attack Moeen Ali when you can sit back and wait for the bad balls.
England have struggled to find a match-turning spinner since Graeme Swann’s sudden retirement during the 2013-14 Ashes.
Ali bagged five wickets in Cardiff, including the scalp of Warner in the second innings, as England recorded a 169-run first Ashes Test win.
However, the offspinner failed to trouble Steve Smith and Chris Rogers as the pair put on a 259-run stand that piloted Australia to a 405-run victory at Lord’s.
Warner felt the difference was a more-guarded approach, something the pugnacious opener admitted he should have adopted in the second Test instead of holing out on day one.
“Coming out probably too hard and too aggressive was probably silly on my behalf,” he said.
“It was a brain snap.
“With Moeen, I don’t think we really have to go as hard against him (compared to Swann).
“No disrespect to Moeen, but you will get that bad ball. Whereas Swanny was relentless.”
Ali could be joined in England’s XI by uncapped legspinner Adil Rashid next Wednesday, when the third Ashes Test starts.
Trevor Bayliss wants both tweakers to play a Test together and the Edgbaston pitch is expected to be spin-friendly.
Mark Wood, who looked restricted and was ineffectual during the second Test, would be the paceman to miss out.
However, Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad failed to make much of an impression on a slow-and-low Lord’s pitch.
“They’re two world-class bowlers … and it felt like their energy wasn’t there,” Warner said.
“It’s like they put all their energy in the first Test.
“I felt they were a little bit flat in that first spell.”
Anderson and Broad struggled to impact the contest from that point on.
Smith scored off them like it was a game of park cricket as he marched towards a maiden double-century.
“Obviously, the pressure is back on their bowling attack now to try and work out how to get Steve Smith out,” Warner said.
“They’ve tried everything.
“He sort of annoys the bowlers because you can see them thinking ‘how are we going to get this guy out?’.
“They’re going to have really work hard.”
Build your own fantasy cricket team and put it to the test with Draftstars daily fantasy competitions. Pick your match, pick your team and watch the points roll in to take out cash prizes on each match. What are you really gambling with? Set a deposit limit.
Harshal Patel was not a happy man!
David Lord has been remembered as an icon of Australian sports journalism following his death, aged 84. The renowned writer and broadcaster was an…
Sign the man up for a contract next season!
RCB have suffered a massive HEAD-ACHE after Travis Head smashed the fastest century by an SRH player in just 39 balls, as they amassed…
A brutal century by Travis Head has blasted Sunrisers Hyderabad back into the Indian Premier League play-off places in another match for bowlers to…
Two Aussies abroad have endured wildly different fortunes as Jake Fraser-McGurk joined the world stage with a thrilling first IPL half century, but Scott…
