"They try to win from the first ball" - Ian Chappell explains England's 'clever' tactic in Test cricket

Former Australian captain Ian Chappell reckons England's tactics of winning in Test cricket from the get-go is old but highly effective. The retired commentator pointed out how aggressive England have become and have shut their conservatism.

Under skipper Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, England have started playing aggressively in Test cricket. They have won 11 out of their last 13 Tests and chased over 250 four consecutive times last summer, including registering their highest run-chase in the format.

In his column for ESPN Cricinfo, Chappell observed how England take draw out of the equation by looking to win from ball one.

"What England do is actually employ an old but clever tactic - they try to win from the first ball in an attempt to take the draw out of the equation. By attacking sensibly, the England batters score quickly in order to gauge the opposition's reaction. Aggressiveness is a major change from an England side who mostly used conservative ways in the past.

The 78-year-old felt such an approach encourages the team to give their best on the field.

"Stokes is absolutely correct to try and win from the first ball because it empowers his team and is the best way to unsettle the opposition."

However, he pointed out that the pitfalls of the approach lie in England's bowling attack, given the aging James Anderson and Stuart Broad, injury-prone Stokes, and Moeen Ali's inconsistency. Chappell elaborated:

"That highlights a problem for England; the advanced age of their experienced pace bowlers. Jimmy Anderson and Broad are both excellent bowlers but if either suffers an age-related injury, it places a huge burden on the rest of the attack."

"This is especially so because England are uncertain what Stokes provides as a bowler, and spinner Moeen Ali doesn't have a good record against Australia's attacking batters. Under assault, the England attack is less likely to hold their nerve than Australia's line-up."

Moeen Ali, who announced his Test retirement two years ago, returned for the injured Jack Leach. While the all-rounder picked up two scalps on day two at Edgbaston, he also went for a lot of runs against Usman Khawaja and Travis Head.

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"Field placings will play a big part" - Ian Chappell

Ian Chappell. (Image Credits: Getty)

Highlighting the importance of shrewd field placings and holding on to catches, Chappell added:

"Field placings will play a big part if the batters of both sides continue to succeed with the plan to attack. The captain who finds the correct spot for his fielders, and they then hang on to the catches, will hit upon a good recipe for winning a tightly-contested series."

The first Ashes Test at Edgbaston is at a knife's edge as Australia trail England's first innings total by 82 runs heading into day three.