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There appears to be no plan apart from station as many fielders on the boundary as possible and wait for England to make a mistake. There is no pressure on new batsmen coming to the crease and England have been able to score at 4 and a half runs an over. It is demoralising for bowlers when their good balls are still scored off. Only one English batsman has been dismissed by a good ball (Crawley). The others have pretty much got themselves out, but who knows if Australia had been a bit more attacking and creative in their field placings they might have bowled them out for around 250.
I have no idea what they are trying to achieve and it seems obvious to me already that they are spooked by the poms attack at all costs approach
 

I guess mikeh Eng are playing ODI cricket and Aust are setting fields accordingly....case of giving Eng enough rope to eventually hang themselves. How Aust bats in their 1st innings is the key here. This look likes a flat track - 500+?....Eng at present have scored fast but is it enough? 

Aust have to make their innings count though and maximize the batting track.....get Eng out for less then 400  and it will only be a win, if Aust can get a 150 - 200 run lead. I guess the plus for Aust is that our bowlers won't fatigue by bowling shed loads of overs.....keep Eng bowlers out there for repetitive 120+ overs....Aust run rate may not look as pretty,....but in the long run, Eng bowlers will fatigue and cough up the 4 balls..

Tortoise and the hare stuff I guess. Aust just need to keep their nerve and not get sucked in to matching Eng run rate....has Aust got the ego to contain their egos? Time will tell I guess

Beasley Hutton wrote:

In some 44 years of watching Test Cricket from all over the world I dont think I have ever seen as clueless and defensive field placings as those employed by Cummins today (no doubt in unison with that clown coach McDonald) on the first morning of an Ashes series!!!

there is a lot to be pretty worried about - England bats are walking into the ball out of their crease and the bowlers duly served up the pies
totally unable to stop the runs at any point and it could have been far worse
the captain looked really innocuous 

BH, not sure the attacking 3 slips, gully, point, cover mid off would of helped mate....Eng were playing ODI shots and drying up their boundaries and scoring areas was a sensible option.....Boland was going at 6 an over....when does that ever happen?....the guy never coughs up that sort of economy rate on a MCG road.

Cummins et al relied on Eng stupidity/Bazball ego to get their wickets and it duely worked. That is not a 400 run pitch....its a 550 + pitch....nothing in it for the bowlers....Stokes is putting all his eggs in one basket hoping his aging maestros will bowl Aust out for less....a lot less. 

The key is for Aust to bat to the pitch conditions..it's flat and full of runs....rein in the ego - Aust game plan should be to bat for the next 2 days....get in excess of 600.....if they can make 450 + on that spicy Oval pitch last week....then one can only hope 600 is within reach.

Great stuff by the Poms.400 runs and a crack at our batsman ,late on day 1.
Have to say the wicket looks like a road.Like a day 3 Australian deck.
Two amazing reverse sweeps played to Joe Root.Or what the English call the swoop shot.

Not sure if its a complete road GTRX. Root made it look easy but I noticed that there were some balls that jumped at the batsmen and others that kept low. I suppose we will find out today. 
Hazlewood was the pick of our bowlers given he has played virtually no red ball cricket in the last 12 months, only went for 4 runs an over. Boland got a bit of a reality check but he will learn from that and I'm sure he will adjust to the way they are playing him. It is a bit of a concern that Cummins is not bowling with the same venom that he had a year ago. Noticed that in the WTC final as well

can only wonder if CA realises the coach they actually need is sitting in the commentary box
had it right on straight away too
he taught McCullum all about attacking cricket

Just read on SEN that the British Press is mauling ,Cummins. For his passive field placements ,day 1 Edgbaston. It wasn't just noticed by BH.

He has given Australia a chance because he has played too aggressively, which the papers have also noticed. Australia could be 500 plus with a day-and- halves normal batting, a score which would put England under pressure. What was wrong with making 460 at least? Also, such silly play has cost the English before under this coach, notably in NZ. during the follow-on game. All he had to do was play for the draw on the last day, walking away having won the series. 

Stewart Broad looks really dangerous .In these overcast day 2 conditions.