5 things England can do differently to win the second Test

As a supporter of an underdog in any series, I'd like to see England win the second Test and go on take the Ashes series 2017/18. So, let us look at some things that England has to do differently to win:

5. Rekindle The Passion In Alastair Cook

George Dobell pointed out Cook's sudden brain freeze in the second innings. In the same article, he also points out that Cook might be losing his hunger to churn out long innings. However, I believe that this is not the case.

Cook is trying too hard to impress his coach and is moving away from his natural game, i.e. stonewalling whatever the bowlers throw at him. One of the reasons why Kevin Pietersen and England sent the Australian bowlers on a leather hunt in the 2010 Ashes was Cook's ability to soak in the pressure at the start.

To ensure that Cook (who is also known for his freakish ability to not sweat) goes back to his basics, the coaching team should encourage him to play a stonewalling role.

4. Mark Stoneman should emulate Jonathan Trott

Mark Stoneman leans into one of his cover drives

One of the other reasons why England played so well in the 2010 Ashes was the batting of Jonathan Trott at the pivotal number 3 position. After his unfortunate illness-timed retirement, England has unsuccessfully tried a line of batsmen to fill his giant-sized shoes.

In the current England line-up, I can see Mark Stoneman as the right player who can play the role of Trott. One of the things that stood out in Stoneman's first innings fifty was his patience and willingness to wait for the bad delivery.

If both the openers can succeed in blunting the pressure of the opening spells, Joe Root and company will have an excellent platform to play their natural strokes.

3. The X-factor bowler - Chris Woakes

In 2010, Tim Bresnan played a key holding role and allowed James Anderson and Stuart Broad to stick to their attacking line and lengths. In 2005, there was Simon Jones who provided the shock factor with his swing. These two series showed how the third seamer in the side played crucial roles. The third seamer for this series is Chris Woakes.

He has come a long way from his debut and is being touted as a successor of James Anderson. However, in the first Test, it seemed like he is still feeling his way into the starting 11 after his injury. In addition to shouldering Ben Stokes's absence, Chris Woakes should look at bowling a fuller length and provide the shock factor, which the bowling attack missed in the first Test.

2. Encourage James Vince

James Vince plays his one of his sweetly-timed strokes2. James Vince Should Be Unleashed

James Vince's 84 in the first innings stood out because of the time he had to play his shots. The entire innings proved why the ECB rate Vince so highly. To unleash his full potential, the coaching team should encourage Vince to go all out and not worry about his position in the team.

Many people compare Vince's technique to that of Michael Vaughan, who thrived under the leadership of Duncan Fletcher. I believe that Trevor Bayliss should develop the same trust with Vince and unleash him on the unsuspecting Aussies.

Jonny Bairstow to snatch momentum

Johnny Bairstow and Jos Butler

I am still not sure why Johnny Bairstow bats so low in the batting order. He has the ability to put the opposition under pressure from the start because of his ability to score quickly.

With the Australian media digging up a trivial headbutting incident between Bairstow and Bancroft, it might be a blessing in disguise. The England team is seething about the timing of the headbutt reports and hopefully this anger will bring out the best in Bairstow.

One of the reasons why I rate Bairstow so highly is because of his reaction to a tragic event. After Bairstow Sr. committed suicide, Johnny told his mother that she could count him to be the man of the house. This shows the mental make up of the man.

When he was dropped in the year 2015, he went back to the grind of county cricket and turned into a run-making machine, which has kept out talent like Jos Butler from the England Test team. Based on these factors I believe that Bairstow holds the key to turn this series around for England.