November 11 Monday 2002
Australia were planning to bowl first: McGrath

MELBOURNE: Australia paceman Glenn McGrath has defended England captain Nasser Hussain's decision to send the opposition in to bat in the first Ashes Test, saying the home team had planned to do the same thing. 

Hussain won the toss on Thursday and elected to bowl first, Australia going on to smash 364 for two. The England skipper admitted in his Sunday Telegraph newspaper column that it had been a big mistake. 

Australian media ran back-page headlines on Friday attacking England's inaccurate bowling, sloppy fielding and Hussain's decision, labelling him "Nasser Insane". 

However, McGrath's column in the Sunday Herald Sun carried the headline: "Nasser not so insane". 

"We were planning on doing the same thing," McGrath said. (Captain Steve Waugh) wanted to get stuck into the English batsmen as soon as possible to put them on the back foot. 

"The Brisbane wicket can be a bit funny early in the season in that it looks like it is going to do more than it actually does."