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fortunate win but it still papers over the cracks - at some point the dam wall will burst
Australia could do worse than training up Mitch Marsh to open when Warner becomes the liability - we know Harris will fall over he's worse than Warner
expect England to come out wildly swinging the bat in the next one

Captain had ice in his veins and probably needs more respect for playing the match over 5 days than people are giving him credit forSome interesting things for you to all ponder over.......both lost 18 wickets for the Test.

Australia scored 668 runs to England’s 666 but Australia faced 384 more balls for roughly the same amount of runs. Can England bowlers keep backing up if they are bowling an extra 60 overs per match?

Australia hit one more four (68 to 67) and four more sixes (11 to 7), 

No English batter got above 50  in the second dig when the pitch was at its best to bat on.

Well played to Pat and the Aussies I say, I look forward to lords in a week's time

Good points PH. I think though that this game would have been a dull draw without Ben Stokes creativity and out of the box decision making. The pitch was so docile and Stokes will be criticised for declaring at 393 in the first innings and not going on to 450 which would have been a far more formidable score. However it was an attacking move and Stokes was true to his values of entertainment as the key factor in test cricket.

Of course Australia have every right to play the way they choose and they are obviously playing the long game here, but there were times particularly when batting that the specialist batsmen could have played with more intent, not smashing boundaries but rotating the strike and putting pressure on the field. Ussie in the run chase yesterday was just in his own bubble blocking everything which must have made Head Carey and Green feel like they needed to score more than their fair share of runs.

It was only when Cummins and Lyon started attacking the bowlers that they started looking frazzled, and they were absolutely magnificent. My point is that is what the specialist batsmen should be doing. I don't know maybe the Poms just subconciously relaxed when they got Carey out thinking the job was done but that was the best innings I have seen from Cummins for a long time. There were a few catches during the partnership that nearly went to hand but if you play with positive intent you tend to get away with that sort of stuff.

In relation to the Lords test which starts next Thursday, England have a few dilemmas, they will probably bring in Mark Wood but they may have to go in without a spinner as Moin Ali was obviously inconvenienced with his hurt finger. Do they go with Anderson and Broad again even though they bowled a lot of overs in the 1st test or pick Woakes who is a Lords specialist?

For Australia the only change they would be pondering would to bring in Starc at the expense of either Boland or Hazlewood, that will be a tough choice.

Great win well overdue to win a close one, especially against the Poms. Cummins and Lyon showed nerves of steel. I think where we’ve got the edge going into the second test is a couple of their key players are in doubt. Moeen Ali’s spin finger looks like it’s ready to throw on the barbecue and after Stokes bowled Kuwaja I noticed him limping favouring his right leg immediately. His left knee is causing him pain which is his front foot that takes all the weight.

Aussies on the other hand look fit and healthy.

Mikeh, I reckon folk are confusing Stokes creativity with stupidity mate. Aust were 0/14 at stumps on day 1....in that time Eng could of been 450 at stumps the way Root was batting. Yeah Stokes was hoping for Warner's wicket before stumps, but they got it first thing in the morning  on day 2  for fudge all anyway.

Not sure how folk can say it was a fortunate victory..it was one of Aust best 4th innings chases ever....Eng had plenty of opportunity to win this match, especially in the final session. Aust recognized  batsmen duly saw to that with some of their dismissals.

New cherry, two bowlers with over 1200 test wickets between them, with two number 11's on the park and another in the shed, with 50 runs to chase....and the skipper gets creative with multiple fielders patrolling the boundary?.....think Stokes bottled it really....very unBazball like TBH.

Everyone knows Eng will come back hard and with the same match plan no doubt. One win doesn't ensure series success, so plenty for both sides to play for. Rather be 1/0 up in a five match series, then 0/1 down. For Eng to win the Ashes back, they will need to win at least 2 of the next 4 tests.....to do that risks will need to be taken...greater risks then what were taken in the 1st test.....and especially what was seen in that last hour of Aust 4th innings.

Do feel for Stuart Broad.He bowled his heart out.82 to 85 MPH,as fast as he's ever bowled.
Missed the Australian edge a number of times. Was easily the pick of the English bowlers. Looked devastated after the loss.

Must admit I found the outrage of some ex Australian players in the media about Ollie Robinsons sledging of Ussie quite hypocritical when you consider some of the history of personal abuse directed at the opposition by some of these same people when they were playing.

Remember the "get ready for a broken F***n arm" or Mitchell Johnson abusing every english batsman in 2013 or some of Pontings outbursts.

Robinsons outburst was really quite tame compared with some of this stuff and he ended up making himself look like an idiot anyway with his comment about Australias 3 number 11s who he couldnt dismiss in the 2nd innings

I hear what you are saying Mike but those you mentioned Ponting, Johnson, Clarke etc were some of the greats whereas Robinson bowls 125km/hr pies.....when he is not eating them!
I also know Robinson has a past history with racist social media posts and bugger me dead his outburst was toward Usman Khawaja!

Wood will come in for England and they might just have part-time spinners - all pace for Lords

Lords is the English ground where Australia has the best record so a real opportunity to go 2-0 up in the series which would be huge in the context of the ashes. Starc will come in for Boland I think and looks like Moin Ali will be retained in the England team subject to fitness. Wood may come in for Anderson or Robinson. McCullum has also said that Bairstow will still keep wicket in the 2nd test despite the mistakes he made which were highlighted by Careys flawless performance.

You would hope that Marnus and Smith will contribute a bit more than 35 in this test.