England might have been blown away by Australia inside two days in the opening Ashes Test in Perth but former middle order batter Jonathan Trott is backing Ben Stokes's team to fight back in the remaining four Tests.
The oldest rivalry in cricket resumed in spectacular fashion in Western Australia on a lively Perth pitch as 19 wickets fell on the opening day.
England seemed to have caught Australia on the back foot, especially since the hosts were missing front-line quicks Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, while opening batter Usman Khawaja picked up a back injury during the game.
A target of 205 looked like a challenging one against England's impressive and well-stocked pace attack in helpful conditions. But Australia's makeshift opener Travis Head turned the match on its head within a couple of hours, cracking 123 from just 83 balls to complete the run chase inside 30 overs.
The dramatic nature of the match dampened the mood among English supporters, many of who saw the opening match as the best opportunity since the Australians were missing key players.
But Trott, head coach of Gulf Giants in the DP World International League T20, believes England will fight back. And that they don't need to make too many changes.
“I switched the TV on and England were 100-1 effectively ahead [in Perth]. And then it changed very quickly. It's a great example of Test cricket and how quickly stuff can change.
“I think it's going to be a great series with four to go. And I wouldn't write England off,” Trott told The National ahead of the new season of the ILT20 which began on Tuesday.
“Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum have been down in a series before and fought their way back.”
While England will be without the injured Mark Wood for the second pink-ball Test which begins in Brisbane on Thursday, the visitors' fast bowling pool of Jofra Archer, Brydon Carse, Gus Atkinson and Stokes looks adequately potent. Trott believes the uncertainties involved in a day-night Test can make for an closer contest.
“I'm fascinated to see how this pink ball goes, with the quality of seam bowling on show. It's yet to be seen if England are going to change the way they play. I don't think they will. They have stuck to their guns in the past and it has served them well,” the South Africa-born batter said.
“You will see England fight back. I'm not sure on the exact scoreline yet, depending on weather getting into the last couple of games. So it's really tricky, but I would be wary to doubt the England side.”
Stokes to return to white-ball cricket?
One constant in England's effort to rise to the top in Test cricket is the single-minded dedication of captain Stokes. The all-rounder has restricted himself to red-ball cricket for now, having last played an international white-ball game more than two years ago.
But given his consistent output with both bat and ball in the longest format, the temptation is there to get Stokes back in the mix for at least ODI cricket, looking ahead to the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Trott said Stokes's passion for Test cricket is clear, but with major ICC tournaments almost every year, and with McCullum now in charge of all formats, a return to limited overs cricket is feasible.
“If you look at him play a Test match, the amount of overs he bowls … he's just looking after his body, the longevity and the pride that he takes in being England captain. He wants to make sure he is there and available for Test matches and certainly this Ashes is key.
“You never know what things might change. There are all sorts of World Cups coming around the corner. And now that Brendon is in charge of all three teams, we'll have to see what happens.”
