David Warner and Steve Smith question England’s “strange” Ashes bowling plans

David Warner and Steve Smith have been critical of the way England bowled in the second Ashes Test at the Adelaide Oval.

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England rue missed chances on first day of second Test

Australia ‘s star batters David Warner and Steve Smith have questioned England ‘s tactics in the second Ashes Test, with the hosts declaring on a first innings total of 473-9.

England were reluctant to bowl full with the first new ball due to concerns that Australia could get off to a flier, while all-rounder Ben Stokes was used as an enforcer, peppering the batters with short-pitched bowling.

Ultimately, England’s tactics did not prove successful, with Australia making an imposing first innings score and both Warner and Smith scoring 90s.

Speaking to ABC after the conclusion of play on day two, stand-in captain Smith, who made 93, described England’s bowling plans as “strange”.

“It’s a pretty tough wicket,” he said. “You really have to grind, back your defence and leave well, then cash in if they bowl anything loose.

“Another seven runs (for the century) would have been nice, but it doesn’t matter too much because of the position we’re in.

“We still have a pretty new ball that will hopefully move around in the morning.

“There was some strange tactics at certain times. They bowled a fraction short with the first new ball, not hitting the stumps as hopefully our boys are able to do.”

Warner, meanwhile, said the use of Stokes as an enforcer “worked into our plan” and criticised England’s reluctance to pitch the ball up.

“That’s a tactic they have obviously tried to put through to us,” Warner said of Stokes’ barrage of bouncers. “I don’t know why they were doing that.

“For us, you have to play each ball on its merits. Obviously here [the boundaries are] short square, so you have to back yourself to have a gameplan and stick to that.

“They mix up their fields as well with different field placements and then from your perspective it’s about how you’re going to adapt to that situation.

“You get into positions where you are almost in one-day mode as well. There are gaps in front of the wicket, [you play] a couple of flat-bat shots.

“Once you get one or two boundaries away and you start leaking, you have to change tactics. But they didn’t do that. It worked into our plan a bit, and the ball gets softer.

“The length that they bowled here today isn’t hitting the stumps. That length there is hitting the stumps in England, and that’s the difference.

“I batted out of my crease and Marnus [Labuschagne] did as well to be able to leave the ball on a good length and we backed ourselves that the ball was going to go over the stumps. That was something that we learned from the Gabba.”