Monday 5 August 2019 18:19, UK
Shane Warne feels the pressure has shifted onto England's camp for the first time in years following their 251-run defeat to Australia in the first Test at Edgbaston.
Warne, who played in the last Australian team to win an Ashes series in England in 2001, believes the home side will be rattled by their loss and have questions to answer ahead of the second Test, which gets underway at Lord's a week on Wednesday, live on Sky Sports.
"For the first time, I think England will start to worry about Australia," Warne told Sky Sports. "I don't think they've worried about Australia for a while.
"To win by over 250 runs is a comprehensive win and will do amazing things for their confidence, to start off the campaign like that and lay down a marker.
"To come around and win this Test match is as a good a win as this group of players have had for a very, very long time.
"Given what's happened over the last 12 months, given they haven't won [a series] here for 18 years, I think for the first time in a long time, in an Ashes series in England, all the questions are in the England camp and not in Australia's."
Australia's success at Edgbaston owed much to the performance of Steve Smith - who was sacked as captain and handed a 12-month ban for his part in the ball-tampering scandal of March 2018.
Smith struck centuries in both innings, hauling his side back from a perilous 122-8 on the first day, and Warne was impressed by the way the former skipper - who was repeatedly booed by the crowd - handled himself.
"You think of all the things he's been through - the humiliation as Australia captain, redemption and integration back into the team, then the lonely times practising in the nets and having an elbow operation, wondering if he could actually bat again," said Warne.
"That's a huge rollercoaster of an emotional ride and I thought he did pretty well to hold it together. It would have been easy for him to show that emotion.
"By the time he got the second hundred, he's back into Steve Smith form and I take my hat off to him. To hold his head high and play the way he does, you've got admire him as a person, as a cricketer."
Australia's selectors raised a few eyebrows at Edgbaston by omitting front line seamers Mitchell Starc - England's nemesis in the last Ashes series - and Josh Hazlewood in favour of Peter Siddle and James Pattinson.
Although spinner Nathan Lyon and paceman Pat Cummins claimed the bulk of the wickets, both Siddle and Pattinson played their part in maintaining the pressure on England with some economical bowling.
"I thought the bowlers were outstanding, all of them, given the surface, and going back to day one, the selection showed courage in dropping Starc and Hazlewood," added Warne.
"It takes a bit of courage to do that after they've been very good for Australia, to say to Siddle 'you're in', and Pattinson hasn't played much. So I take my hat off to the Australian selectors, the players and management for making those brave decisions."
Watch the second Ashes Test at Lord's from 10am on Wednesday, August 14 on Sky Sports The Ashes and Main Event.
