We totally underestimated England in the first Test.

We won the World Cup in fine style, romped it in, then we thrashed the West Indies in two Test matches.

We came here with our chest out and we thought we were just going to steamroll them – aggressive with the bat and the ball.

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But hang on a minute – we might just need a little but more than that.

Michael Clarke made 38 and 4 in the first Test. Photo: Getty

We’re playing in England where we’ve lost the past three Ashes.

Our three most senior players – Michael Clarke, Shane Watson and Brad Haddin let us down.

Clarke’s played in three losing series over there, Watson and Haddin two.

We picked a very experienced side, not looking to the future, with the expectation of winning this Ashes.

We expect and need a lot more from these guys.

You look at a bloke like Moeen Ali – I didn’t think he could bowl, and I don’t think the Australians did either.

But we’re going to need to reassess that, because the off-spinner got four top-order batsmen out.

Our tactics against Joe Root were non-existent.

His average in the past 18 months is through the roof, yet we had no tactics against him.

And that boy can play.

The Australians will have to go in with a different mindset and a different approach at Lord’s in the second Test.

We know we’re not going to get fast bowlers’ pitches.

We’re going to have to find reverse swing and our quicks are going to have to be more patient.

Shane Watson failed twice in Cardiff. Photo: Getty

We need to occupy the crease.

Even in 2005, with our great side, we came too hard at the ball.

You can’t play too hard at the ball all the time in England.

If it starts to swing around, you have to let ball come on to bat a little bit more.

Obviously we can turn it around.

The key – get Joe Root out.

Root is an absolute superstar. He might be the best English batsmen I’ve ever seen.

Think David Gower, Kevin Pietersen, Graham Gooch, Ian Bell – I can go back to the 1960s when I loved English batsmen.

Root’s got them covered.

We’ve got to have tactics, we’ve got to dry him up.

We’re all hoping and praying that Mitchell Johnson can just give us a little bit more.

We’re just hoping that at Lord’s, the scene of one of his worst days, he bowls one side of the stumps.

He’s a superstar, Johnson, and we just need him to come to grips with English conditions.

If he does that, it is game on.