Australia Legend Says England Player Has ‘Demon In His Mind’ After First Test
Australia legend Justin Langer says that one England player will have a 'demon that will stay in his mind' after the first Ashes Test in Perth.
England lost the first Test by eight wickets after Australia successfully chased down a target of 205 in the fourth innings.
The Test match lasted under two days, with Travis Head smashing 123 off just 83 balls to secure victory for the hosts.
Batting collapses were the theme of both innings for England, who lost their final five wickets inside just 18 balls on day one before losing six for 37 runs during their second innings.
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They also lost their first wicket without scoring a run in both innings, with opener Zak Crawley twice failing to see out the first over bowled by Mitchell Starc.
The Kent batter averages 30 across his 60 Test matches for England but, at 6ft 4in tall, has the height advantage to comfortably play the extra bounce that is usually generated by Australian wickets.
One of Crawley's trademark shots is his cover drive, but that tendency can leave him vulnerable outside off stump, and he nicked an out-swinger from Starc to Usman Khawaja at slip in the first innings.
In the second innings, he mistimed a straight drive to offer a caught-and-bowled chance to Starc, who took a superb one-handed catch.
Langer, who averaged over 50 opening the batting for Australia in 21 Ashes Tests, analysed Crawley's dismissals for host broadcaster Channel Seven and pinpointed what the England batter needs to do between now and the day-night second Test in Brisbane beginning December 4.
He explained: "Zak Crawley, in public, will be saying, 'Ah no, it's all good. I'm just going to go and get my preparation...'
"He will not sleep for 11 nights. Let me tell you that. If you get a pair, if you get a duck in Test cricket, it's like this demon that stays in your mind, almost takes over.
"He can go out and practice. All he can do is get ready for it [the second Test], and prepare well.
"He's already been under public scrutiny. What he knows is he's got the support of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum. He knows that. And if you know that your captain and coach have got your back, he can sleep a little easier.
"But nobody likes getting a pair, trust me. It is the worst thing you can do in the game of cricket. He's going to have to prepare well, because Australia have seen they can beat him on both sides of the bat. He's going to have to be at his best to be ready for the next Test match."
England did not name a reserve opener in their touring squad - and coach Brendon McCullum is still backing Crawley to succeed Down Under.
"We believe he is a quality player, particularly in these conditions against this sort of opposition," he told TNT Sports.
"How many balls did he face? 10 or 11? He got out cheaply, but we believe in Zak.
"He's been around the group for a long time. The combination with Ben Duckett and Zak has allowed us to enter games as best as we think we can.
"Sometimes you get out cheaply, right? It would have been nice if he hadn't, but that's life. If he can get going, he can do some damage."
Ryan Smart