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Whether or not Mitchell Johnson was the Australian one-day sides’ next number four batsman wasn’t a question many were contemplating before last night’s one-dayer in Sydney. But after racking up 57 off 59 balls, it’s a question that deserves more serious discussion.
The left-armer was sent in at second-drop as the Aussies tried to chase down the 334 required to win against England.
The exit of Shane Watson should’ve signalled the arrival of Michael Clarke, but instead Johnson wandered down the race.
The Queenslander, turned West Australian, had another tough outing with the ball, taking 1 for 43 off six overs, on a day where Clarke used 8 bowlers. But once again he proved his batting technique is far better than his bowling action.
The decision seemed crazy, but it actually made perfect sense.
Although describing Johnson as a “pinch hitter” is a little harsh, that’s effectively what his role was.
The Aussies needed to keep the run-rate ticking over and Clarke joining Callum Ferguson at the crease may have had the opposite effect to that required.
Johnson’s wicket isn’t vital in the grand scheme of things. Whether he makes 10 or 110 shouldn’t influence the final result. The top six should take responsibility for that.
If he fires it’s fantastic, and the required total gets closer. If his middle stump is sent cart-wheeling into the first row then … oh, well.
There’s a big difference between being a slogger and having a fantastic eye backed up by great technique. One of his greatest assets is that he knows when to lash out and when to contain himself. It’s a skill that some Australian batsmen are missing.
So should this be a permanent appointment?
This, after all, is a man who has one Test hundred and six fifties to his name. He’s hardly a mug.
His one-day statistics aren’t flattering, but if you combine last night’s performance with what we’ve already seen from him, then it suggests Johnson may have been wasted down the order.
Prior to last night’s innings, he’d been to the crease 48-times in ODI’s and made just the one half century with an average of 16.12. In most of those innings Johnson was forced to come to the crease and slog from the beginning.
He’s shown, if given time to develop an innings, that he can be a force. With a World Cup just around the corner, it may be time to continue the experiment.
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