Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting reckons experiments in the first Test led to England's loss and the pressure is now on the hosts to fight back in the 2nd Test of the Ashes series.
Australia edged England by two wickets in the first Test at Edgbaston in Birmingham.
England’s ‘Bazball’ style was on full display in the first Ashes Test, with the English batters taking aggressive approaches in both innings, some experimental field setting used throughout, and Stokes declaring on the first evening.
“I think it's going to be a really, really good test for England. Actually, I think it's going to be a good test for their style of play. I think it's going to be a good test for their leadership and their coaching,” Ponting said on ICC Review podcast.
“One thing that I was looking forward to seeing most was how this style of play actually stood up against Australia. They've played Pakistan in Pakistan on flat wickets. I think they played New Zealand in six (five) of those 11 Test matches that they've won. And that was why I was so intrigued by what was going to happen.
“I said on commentary last night that, after day one, everyone was saying that Australia were negative, Australia had lots of questions to answer, how have Australia got to combat what England are doing? But Australia won the game.”
England seamer Robinson was questioned for a send-off of Usman Khawaja during Australia’s first innings in the, with the 29-year-old Robinson saying: “We’ve all seen Ricky Ponting, other Aussies do the same to us. Just because the shoe is on the other foot, it’s not received well.”
Ponting says Robinson might be better placed focusing on his own performance rather than looking back at Ashes history.
“As I said after Ollie Robinson said what he said, this England cricket team hasn't played against Australia and they'll find out pretty quickly what playing Ashes cricket and playing against a good Australian cricket team is all about,” Ponting said.
“And if Ollie Robinson hasn't learned that already after last week, then he's a slow learner.
“Some of the things he had to say -- I mean he even brought my name into it, which I felt was a little bit unusual but for me it’s water off a duck's back -- if he is sitting back thinking about me, then no wonder he bowled like the way that he did in that game, if he's worried about what I did 15 years ago.
“He'll learn pretty quickly that if you're going to talk to Australian cricketers in an Ashes series, then you want to be able to back it up with your skills.”
The second Ashes Test will start at Lord’s on Wednesday 28 June, with Australia 1-0 up in the series.
