5 Things Learned After First Ashes Test

1. Redemption Is Not A Dirty Word

Before this Test Match Mitchell Johnson and David Warner were viewed by many in the cricketing world as disappointments. Johnson was known to self-destruct too often at times when Australia needed him to turn his firepower on the opposition and Warner was known to have been the Australian's resident PR nightmare. Warner's century, while made in the second innings when he could open his arms with more abandon and less pressure, will have Cook and co. anxious, for there are few batsmen in the world that can completely take the momentum away from a team in one session like Warner can. Mitchell Johnson on the other hand destroyed much of the solid edifices of defence that the English batsmen were supposedly able to put up and showed them to be a bit suspect to sustained fast bowling. This, coupled with his 100 runs, makes him a very important choice for Adelaide- where his pace could elucidate something from quite possibly the deadest Test pitch in Australia and one of the least forgiving for the fast men. Having said that, it is clear that these leopards have not completely changed their spots. Warner's comments about Trott were pretty tactless and not the sort of thing that does anything to quash rumours of complacency. Johnson's first spell with the new ball was pretty wooly also, spraying it all around, before readjusting his plans. Such events indicate that redemption may not be a dirty word, but it can't be taken lightly.