Toss, sledging much ado about nothing

England coach Trevor Bayliss has defended captain Joe Root's surprising decision to bowl first in Adelaide and revealed there was no premeditated plan to sledge Steve Smith and the Australians.

Gasps were heard around Adelaide Oval on the afternoon of day one when Root won the toss and shocked the swarm of pundits surrounding the pitch and the swelling crowd by electing to bowl first.

It was a brave call by the visiting skipper, one the likes of former Test players Jason Gillespie and Chris Rogers did not agree with after Australia reached 4-209 at stumps on Saturday before declaring their innings at 8-442 in the final session of day two, having spent 149 overs accumulating their total.

But speaking after play's end on Sunday, Bayliss said the genesis of Root's call was to give his attack the best chance to bowl Australia out twice and level the Magellan Ashes at 1-all before the tour heads west to Perth for the third Test on December 14.

"He wouldn't do anything different," Bayliss said when asked if Root would bowl again if he had his time over.

"It's well documented that one of our challenges is taking wickets on flatter wickets.

"It certainly wasn't an easy decision. It wasn't a decision that was taken lightly.

"But for us to win games we've got to take 20 wickets and that's what Joe thought our best opportunity was, to bowl first on a fresh wicket.

"We bowled pretty well and didn't get the rewards we thought we deserved."

While England failed to penetrate with the fluorescent pink ball, veteran pace duo James Anderson and Stuart Broad went after Smith and the Australians with animated sledging.

Broad put his fingers to his ears when confronting David Warner before beating his chest to the home side's skipper, while Anderson and Smith had to be separated by umpire Aleem Dar as the pair went hammer and tongs at the non-striker's end for one heated over.

England's new-ball attack swapped words with middle-order batsman Peter Handscomb as they left the field on Saturday night and when the Victorian was dismissed by Broad in the first over of day two, the bowler practically screamed in the face of the outgoing batsman.

But Bayliss said none of the sledging was an orchestrated manoeuvre by the visitors and believes the attention on-field banter generates in the media is blown out of proportion.

"The short answer: certainly not," answered Bayliss when asked if England's sledging was planned.

"It's just red-blooded young males out there competing against each other.

"I think most of the time it's fairly light-hearted. Sometimes there's a lot more made of it in the press than what actually happens out in the field.

"After the games and after the series the blokes are together having a beer with no hard feelings. It's just the way the game is played."

However, Bayliss added he does not endorse sledging and that what is said out in the middle should stay there and not be heard in living rooms filled with children and the next generation of potential cricketers.

"It's just the way the game is these days," he said.  "I'd like to see the (stump) microphones turned down.

"I don't think that's necessarily a great thing for young kids at home watching.

"It adds to the spectacle when you're here playing the game but I don't think anyone necessarily has to listen to what is being said.

"It's grown men playing a very competitive sport and sometimes those emotions boil over."

2017-18 International Fixtures

Magellan Ashes Series

Australia Test squad: Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Cameron Bancroft, Usman Khawaja, Peter Handscomb, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine (wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Jackson Bird, Chadd Sayers.

England Test squad: Joe Root (c), James Anderson (vc), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jake Ball, Gary Ballance, Stuart Broad, Alastair Cook, Mason Crane, Tom Curran, Ben Foakes, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Ben Stokes, Mark Stoneman, James Vince, Chris Woakes.

First Test Australia won by 10 wickets. Scorecard

Second Test Adelaide Oval, December 2-6 (Day-Night). Tickets

Third Test WACA Ground, December 14-18. Tickets

Fourth Test MCG, December 26-30. Tickets

Fifth Test SCG, January 4-8 (Pink Test). Tickets

Gillette ODI Series v England

First ODI MCG, January 14. Tickets

Second ODI Gabba, January 19. Tickets

Third ODI SCG, January 21. Tickets

Fourth ODI Adelaide Oval, January 26. Tickets

Fifth ODI Perth Stadium, January 28. Tickets

Prime Minister's XI

PM's XI v England Manuka Oval, February 2. Tickets

Gillette T20 trans-Tasman Tri-Series

First T20I Australia v NZ, SCG, February 3. Tickets

Second T20I – Australia v England, Blundstone Arena, February 7. Tickets

Third T20I – Australia v England, MCG, February 10. Tickets

Fourth T20I – NZ v England, Wellington, February 14

Fifth T20I – NZ v Australia, Eden Park, February 16

Sixth T20I – NZ v England, Seddon Park, February 18

Final – TBC, Eden Park, February 21