Northants coach Lehmann expects England to ‘go even harder’ at Aussies in Brisbane

​Ben Stokes’ side endured a nightmare opening to their bid to win the Ashes for the first time in 10 years when they were beaten by eight wickets inside just two days of the opening encounter in Perth.

A frantic and wicket-laden first day had seen the tourists rushed out for just 172 in their first innings, but they then hit back brilliantly with the ball to dismiss Australia for 132 and secure a 50-run lead.

England looked to be in cruise control just after lunch on the second day as they eased to 65 for one to lead by 105 with nine wickets in hand, but they then hit the self-destruct button.

The dismissal of former Northants man Ben Duckett for 28 sparked an almighty collapse as England lost nine wickets in a session for just 95 runs.

That left Australia needing what many thought would be a testing 205 to win, but a brutal knock of 123 from just 83 balls from stand-in opener Travis Head ensured the home side cruised home with eight wickets and a full three days to spare!

Plenty of criticism has since come England’s way since the defeat, and Lehmann admits their second innings ‘capitulation’ was an ‘unbelievable’ one.

But the two-time Ashes-winning former Australia coach believes that, although they ended up as first Test winners, his countrymen will also have some concerns about their own performance in Perth.

And he is in no doubt that England under skipper Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum are not going to think about taking a step back when play starts in the day-night Test, which will be played with a pink ball, in Brisbane on Thursday (4am, GMT).

"There will be concerns from the Australian team about how they played that first Test match," Lehmann told ABC Sport’s Summer Grandstand programme.

"They were well behind, and if England had just played a bit of Geoffrey Boycott cricket for a couple of hours and plundered the bowling, then they would have won that Test match, because they would have got enough in front.

"But they just capitulated, and to lose nine wickets in a session, it was unbelievable.

"It was a frantic two days, it was unbelievable to watch, it was fast forward cricket and that is what England play.

"So they will be saying 'if we can get it right for longer then we can push Australia and win here'.

"But the hardest thing is when you go 1-0 down here in Australia is that you can't afford any more slip-ups, and if England go 2-0 down then they are done.

"Because that would mean in the last three Tests, if Australia bat well in one of them then they are going to retain the Ashes, and if they bat well in two of them they will win the Ashes.

"So Australia have a little bit of leeway, a bit of a buffer, while there is more pressure on England, and I think they will go harder.

"They will try and force the game and go even harder, so Australia just have to stay composed, play on skill not emotion, while England will just go for it and it will be Bazball at its finest."

After their humbling in Perth, the England squad also received plenty of criticism for declining the opportunity to travel to Canberra last weekend to play in a two-day day-night game against a President’s XI.

The match was played under lights and with a pink ball, but instead the England squad opted to travel to Brisbane early for extra training.

Lehmann feels they may have been better off playing the game, but accepts the proof will be in the pudding for Stokes and his team.

"I would have liked to have seen them play the game,” said Lehmann.

"They could have played the two days and then gone and played golf and relaxed, or do whatever they want to do team building wise, just to give them a hit against a pink ball.

"A lot of people have said it would be a different pitch, and it is lower in Canberra than it will be at the Gabba.

"But having said that the pink ball is still a pink ball, and you have to play it under match conditions when you possibly can, and it was only a two day game.

"They could have gone to Canberra, played the two days, and then come back.

"I know they are doing extra training sessions in Brisbane, and at the end of the day it is just my opinion.

"If England win they will say they got it right, but if they lose they are going to come under more scrutiny.

“But they have chosen to go that way and you have to make a choice. That is what they have done, they are sticking to their guns, and that is not a bad thing for them."