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England fell to a 10-wicket defeat in the first Ashes Test.<br>Here, we highlight five lessons learned at the Gabba.<br>
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5 things we learned from England’s first Test defeat to Australia England fell to a 10-wicket defeat in the first Ashes Test. Here, we highlight five lessons learned at the Gabba. 1.Lyon can walk the walk
Nathan Lyon bowled impressively on a tricky surface (Jason O’Brien/PA) Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon caused an unexpected stir with his pre-series claims about ending careers and England players’ fear at the hands of Mitchell Johnson on their last whitewash tour. He proved in Brisbane, though, that he can make the ball talk as well. Expert on an unexpectedly slow surface, more responsive to spin than anything else, he completely out-bowled Moeen Ali and could easily have picked up better than his match figures of five for 145. 2.Alastair Cook’s blip is becoming a trend Alastair Cook’s form is a worry for England (Jason O’Brien/PA) After two more failures, England’s all-time record runscorer’s last six Test innings – albeit since a double-century at Edgbaston in August – have brought him just 80. It is a worrying drought for the 32-year-old former captain, all the more so because of the frazzled mode of his second-innings dismissal. 3.England’s tail is fragile England have made a virtue over recent years of a tail which starts only at number 10, with Stuart Broad. He is up to nine here, though – and if Jake Ball remains preferred over Craig Overton, the last three wickets can be expected to provide precious little all series. Broad and Ball both made double-figures in the first innings, with some hopeful hitting, but will not be able to better that very often.
4.Stokes’ absence is a problem already Ben Stokes is sorely missed by England (John Walton/PA) England’s match-winning all-rounder Ben Stokes is still languishing at home, waiting to hear if he will be charged over the late-night fracas in Bristol in September. The tourists knew he would be badly missed at some stage, and it has not taken long. Runs from him would have been invaluable in either innings, and he might just have been able to find a way to stop Australia’s man-of-the-match captain Steve Smith proving the difference with his epic, unbeaten 141. 5.Joe Root will be a fine Test captain
Joe Root showed an inventive side to his captaincy in the field (Jason O’Brien/PA) It will help if the Yorkshireman can somehow negotiate an acceptable outcome to this series. But even if England are trounced over the next six weeks, Root has shown enough already to demonstrate he is the best man for this job long term. He did not match Smith as a batsman in Brisbane, but was still brave and skillful before one fateful mistake in the second innings. In the field, he was proactive and inventive without being fussy – in tough circumstances. Stay updated about Latest Cricket News only at TheWinin.