From today’s Australian
Amid all the despondency and cacophony of jeers as Australia sunk toward an inevitable 2-1 defeat on the last day at Edgbaston, Mitchell Johnson threw the switch to vaudeville.
It was a mark of how much he had changed that Johnson would try to lighten the moment — and perhaps sneak a wicket — in such a bleak situation. His former captain Ricky Ponting wrote in his autobiography that the left-armer was one of the most gifted athletes he had ever met but also the least assured. Hostile, unplayable and unspeakably quick with the ball, he was equally quick to doubt himself.
Mitch Mark II is a remarkably different man. He is easy in his own skin. Things aren’t altogether flash for the Australians right now. Brad Haddin and Shane Watson have been discarded after one Test each. In Haddin’s case the bad news came on return from what was essentially compassionate leave. That’s 125 Tests’ worth of experience now running the drinks and trying hard not to think about what form life takes after the series. After cricket.
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Right there in the dressing- room corner you have a constant reminder of cricket mortality. Yesterday, soon after Haddin and chairman of selectors Rod Marsh had an extended conversation to the side of the training group at Trent Bridge, Johnson admitted the loss of the veteran was an uncomfortable moment.
“To lose someone like Hadds and I guess in the situation it was, it’s very difficult for everyone,” he said. “More so for him.”
When England’s Australian Ashes series fell apart, senior player Jonathon Trott went home, then Graeme Swann quit the team. Watson and then Haddin have remained in position.
“He (Haddin) hasn’t gone home or anything like that, so it’s good to have him around the team still and being himself,” Johnson said.
Michael Clarke might, too, be approaching the end of his career if he cannot make runs in the next games, but he put on a positive face as he led the Australians in a light workout at the ground where the players must regroup or lose the series. Michael Vaughan sees reflections of his own last days in the Australian captain’s situation.
“I just wonder whether he is looking at the end,” he wrote for London’s The Daily Telegraph. “When you do that and sense you are in the final moments of your career, you start thinking about the finish rather than delivering in the here and now.
“I did that. I knew I had gone and was distracted by the future.”
Johnson knows away Ashes series are hard for a playing group and take a toll on young and old.
“We’ve got some guys that are probably feeling the pressure a little bit,” he said.
“I know what it’s like when you first come over and experience it, so I think the guys have handled it really well.
“Especially a loss like we had in the last Test, I think we’ve all handled it really well.
“We were disappointed as a team and a group, but we were able to move on. Hopefully we can learn from that and hopefully we can come out here and win this Test match, because if we don’t, we’re in big trouble.”
Johnson has been criticised for bowling too full and admits he might have got it wrong in the immediate spell after gaining the wickets of Jonny Bairstow (his 300th in Tests) and Ben Stokes with two scorching deliveries.
“I was just trying to really dry up the runs and I probably just lost that bit of aggression,” he said.
“I don’t read into it too much, to be honest, but I think because the ball has been swinging over here a lot more, I feel like I’m trying to get the ball up there a lot more often anyway. I think Lord’s is the only ground where I’ve had a real crack at it.
“It’s something I need to have a look at throughout this Test match and just keep that aggression. That’s how I’ve been bowling and it’s been working.”
The bowlers at Edgbaston were a study in contrasts to those at Lord’s, but the difference was the 400-odd extra runs in the first innings of the match they won. The quicks had a buffer zone. Johnson admits he was keen to get the new ball when Australia needed to bowl England out for 120 in the second dig. Then he could have really rock and rolled the other side, but the captain opted for Mitch Starc and Josh Hazlewood.
So, with the match down the gurgler and the Barmy Army’s triumphant taunting so loud it hurt, Johnson ran in, lost his rhythm, paused to tie a shoelace and ran in again.
This time he was so out of whack he’d delivered the ball from almost behind the umpire.
Or that’s what you would have read the situation if it were Mitch 2009.
Johnson had decided to make the most of what would have, for the old Mitch, been a nightmare scenario.
“That over where I did stop in my run-up was deliberate to try and have a bit of fun with the crowd and apparently it had a fair bit of appreciation when I went down to fine leg with people clapping and saying a few choice words, but it was all in good fun,” he said.
“I meant to bowl a long ball but not that long. I went a bit too long, I know that Brett Lee used to bowl it occasionally.
“It could have worked — Joe Root, it definitely widened his eyes up and he had a bit of a smile.
“I was just playing it up a bit with the crowd, but at the same time respecting the game.”
dunno about those side bar references , guess a quirk of cutting and pasting
I like Mitchell Johnson, a lot.
There, I’ve said it!
When it works, and all is going smoothly, he has a run-up which, in its grace and poise, is comparable to the great Alan Donald.
yeah very smooth , just hope he gets his mojo back for tomorrow.
MJ is definitely the most exciting fast bowler in cricket atm. Enough in that article to sound a distinct tone of negativity about the morale in the Australian camp re Haddon. And Pup – usually the darling of the Aus media – surely has the sound of the dreaded death march playing in his ear. Set up nicely for what should be a classic Test.
I was at Edgbaston on the Thursday and when the match was still in the balance – the morning, Mitch fielded on the boundary near where we were sitting in the Hollies. He got at that stage some fairly low-level barracking and was grinning from ear to ear most of the time.
When he got taken off as Moen cut loose the cry of ‘we want our Mitchell back’ went up.
Truly amazing atmosphere later on that day as the Australian wickets fell, bluntly powered by alcohol.
Great article – thanks.
This series isn’t over by a long way.
Indeed it isn’t.
Has anyone else noticed that when he’s running up to the wicket, MJ holds his arms like a T-Rex?
The T-Rex from Toy Story to be precise.
🙂
You’d have to see his full final over to understand how broken he was. In seven attempts he put two balls within two feet of the wicket, he aborted one run-up and released the final ball from somewhere near the sight screen. After that he couldn’t even find his face with his sunglasses, dropping them in front of his tormentors. He may claim he was playing to the crowd but he’s not that good a comedian.
He’ll be back and he’ll be devastating, because he’s the best bowler in the world at the moment, but he should tone down the macho posturing because he can’t take it when it comes back at him.
Interesting that there’s sympathy for Haddin. He lost his place in the most unfortunate of circumstances, but Nevill has seized the chance and looks like the future. It’s not like the Aussies to get all sentimental.
Good point Chiz about the sentimentality. It’s a hard-hearted but sensible decision when you consider Haddin’s age and diminishment of form. The Aussie press have picked up on it as a story because it suits them – they really are the most appalling losers and have to have someone to blame. The skipper – Michael Clark – Pup – a nickname you just know he hates and therefore all the more reason to use it – is witnessing the mob turn against him. For years he’s been the Golden Boy but down here, adulation only exists when you’re winning.
Smith is the guy they all like now – clean cut, straight (boring really) but most of all, bang in form. A few nothing innings from Smithy, a ton for Pup and it’ll all turn around again. The sporting press here are becoming the most fickle in the world.
Re sentiment it is said it is harder to get out of the Australian test team than into it. Plenty of sentiment just not to do with the opposition.
The circumstances of Haddin stepping down, some sort of neurological cancer and his young daughter, made it particularly rugged that he didnt get his it back – no reflection on Neville who has done very well.
re Mitch – the whole macho thing is to get up for it. but he is quite a gentle bloke from all accounts.The mo – he did it for charity ,his wife hates, it I don’t think he likes it either. Butnit has become a brand thing and reinforces the lineage from DK to Swerving Mervyn .
“I meant to bowl a long ball but not that long…”
I’m sure you can smell the bullshit from down there Junior. His bottle went, and he was removed from the attack.
Haddin did deserve to be dropped. All this, the team is unhappy, is media spin, which the team are happy to embrace as it deflects attention.
Neville has kept well, but was very lucky to be facing Stokes and Ali for 15/16 overs, in his 2nd innings.
Dropping Watson was a mistake, Australia should have ignored the press. 30/40 every innings would have been very helpful, regardless of the LBW’s.
If they’ve produced a green top, I hope England have the balls to pick the debutant, Footitt. Just picking him will have Australian batsmen convinced it’s going to go sideways.
Taking 20 wickets is a concern, but a Cook century in the first innings should calm our nerves.
I think Cook is due a really big score.
He looked great until a freak dismissal did for him at Edgbaston, and then got a snorting delivery second time around.
I haven’t watched any of the last sessions so I cant really comment. Doesn’t surprise me , he does lose the plot . Fast bowlers in general can wildly misfire if something is out in the calibration.
No one disagrees that Neville earned his spot it was just the “sentiment” thing esp for the reason cited above.
It doesn’t strike me that this team has the solidarity and focus of previous teams.
Watson has driven us to distraction for years. Great when he could bowl as well was one of the great all rounders for a time but not anymore. He’sour KP just less of a prick.
To be fair Junior, it’s not possible to be more of a prick than KP (discounting his mate Piers Moron, of course).
The final session at Edgbaston was one of the poorest efforts from an Australian test side that I can remember. Admittedly they didn’t carry much luck but after Bell and Root came in, it was like Australia chucked the towel in. Indisciplined bowling, no dynamic and poor body language. Pup spilling the catch didn’t help. If Lehman is the coach he’s made out to be, he’ll surely have reminded the players of the acceptability of that kind of approach. I’d expect a response tonight.
One would bloody well hope so.
It could all come down to today. Australia bat, Rogers, Warner and Smith get away from England’s diminished attack, 2-2 and one to play, which England need to win. I will be (ahem) ‘working from home’ today so may occasionally glance up at the score.
Suspect you,won’t be alone in relocating your office for the duration Chiz.
A grey day in Nottingham and swing bowling predicted. If Australia win the toss they have to bat. Put a message out. Be amazed if that doesn’t happen. If England win they’ll bowl for sure. Go ON pup, make a statement.
Pup dropped to 5? Surely not. Don’t like the message that sends.
England win and will bowl. Fkn hell I got something right. I think i’ll buy a drink.
New match new thread Gj
But oh the horror
pup may as well have opened the time it has taken for him to get to the crease