Watching Mitchell Johnson in this ODI series against England feels somewhat like watching your favourite band during a comeback tour in their twilight years.
When it all comes together, when that glimmer of ingrained magic is rediscovered, it’s as good as it always was. The memories of elation and triumph from yesteryear come flooding in, hope that maybe this is the beginning of a new chapter bubbles to the surface.
Yet there remains a lingering feeling that the end is near, that the performance is an expression of freedom now that the weight of expectation has been lifted.
Watching Johnson right now stirs up those very emotions.
In the final stages of Australia’s tour to England, Johnson is providing a reminder of why he was considered the next shining light of Australian cricket as few as five years ago.
His action looks strong, the run-up fluid, his energy at the crease immense. Regularly exceeding 90mph with shape back into the right handers, Johnson is once again possessing that lethal element of fear in his bowling.
During Sunday’s match at Old Trafford, the left-armer completed the model ODI performance. Early wickets set the tone, immediately crippling the hosts’ run chase, before pinpoint accuracy and pace pegged England back when they threatened to mount a challenge in the middle overs of their innings.
England’s apprehension against Johnson was clearly evident, as they attempted to minimise the quick’s damage while targeting the bowling of his teammates. His figures of 2-36 from 10 overs were impressive, but much like his career, could also have been so much more.
If that game in Manchester was the reminder, then the third ODI at Edgbaston was the confirmation. Although the match was eventually abandoned, his opening spell was brutal, at a pace not previously witnessed in this English summer of cricket.
He overwhelmed the domineering Kevin Pietersen, England’s master-blaster tamely popping a catch to George Bailey at square leg. That was followed by an unrelenting barrage on Jonathan Trott, rapping the prolific number three on the pads several times before cannoning a delivery into the grill of his helmet.
The energy, the precision, the fire. It becomes such a tantalising recipe when all the ingredients come together in such beautiful harmony.
After a tour which has seen a mind-numbing parade of rather tedious medium-paced bowling (Ryan Harris the exception), Johnson’s bursts of blistering speed have become the highlight of a rather sedate finale.
Which leads us to the frustration of Johnson’s tale. Instead of celebrating his ongoing brilliance in Australian colours, we’re lamenting a career that could have been.
He’s a player who was given the tick of approval by the great Dennis Lillie at just 16 years of age, a player who looked certain to carry forward the legacy of Australian fast bowling long after the departures of Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie and Brett Lee.
But somewhere along the line the expected ascension to greatness was halted.
Many have pointed out that Johnson’s switch of focus to cricket was later than ideal for a young player with high aspirations. Initially intent of forging a career in tennis, the Queenslander endured a series of stress fractures in his lower back resulting from a somewhat mechanical action.
That unrefined, raw action is often cited as the primary cause of his trademark spraying of both sides of the wicket. His wrist position, a long-term concern, confuses the matter further, harming his ability to garner a sense of control when rhythm remains elusive.
Yet at his best, few bowlers can compare. The sheer pace, combined with a knack for producing near-unplayable deliveries has ensured that his waywardness doesn’t detract from his threat.
In terms of pure strike power, Johnson is one of the few candidates to rival South Africa’s Dale Steyn.
Few will forget his performance against the Proteas at Perth in 2008, when he claimed a savage 8-61 in a first innings demolition of the tourists. That performance saw Johnson begin the series with an 11-wicket haul, before finishing it by shattering Graeme Smith’s hand at Sydney as he bowled his side to victory.
Impressive displays during a return series to South Africa just a couple of months later had many believing that Johnson was the man to lead Australia’s attack, to re-enforce the country’s dominance over its competition.
That saw him head to England in 2009 as Australia’s primary weapon, a reputation that clearly didn’t sit comfortably with the then 27-year-old. His horribly wonky performance at Lord’s, where he was sent to all corners by England captain Andrew Strauss, occurred on the most inopportune stage.
From that point forward, Johnson hasn’t looked capable of scaling the heights we expected of him. While there have been a handful of strong performances since (Hamilton, Mohali and Perth in 2010), it has appeared that his Lord’s embarrassment has permanently shaken not only his confidence, but his belief.
The grandest theatre in cricket was presented, and Johnson found himself shrinking under the intense gaze of millions.
Perhaps the expectation was too great, the bar had simply been set too high. Instead of embracing the weight that had been placed upon his shoulders, Johnson found himself suffocated by it. The forecast of potential transforming into unrelenting performance never came into being.
Some men simply don’t flourish in the spotlight. The incomparable careers of men such as Warne, McGrath and Ponting are not based on ability in isolation. Instead, these combative men carry an attitude that tailors their skill-sets to thrive in the harsh and gruelling world at the top.
Johnson, an incredibly shy individual on and off the field, owns a personality that isn’t particularly suited to the role of the enforcer. Perhaps it’s that contradiction between his personality and peripheral expectations that has been the handbrake on his career. Perhaps we were simply too quick to identify an unrefined talent as a world-beater in the making.
Regardless, watching Johnson this past week has been a somewhat uneasy trip down memory lane. The magic that once made cricket fans drool is undeniably still there, yet the ship of expectation has long since sailed.
Which leaves us watching a gig on that comeback tour. We’ll enjoy it and we’ll cheer, but we’ll be mourning the lack of that decisive edge, that unfulfilled craving to witness the talent thrive on a fitting stage.
The performance is there. The encapsulating drama isn’t.
Let’s hope the encore is worth the price.
Steven McBain
Roar Guru
By the way, what ever happened to the other young aerosol Shaun Tait??
ChrisUK
Guest
We've owned Australia long enough. It's essentially ours ;)
ChrisUK
Guest
That was rather the point Tim - it was indeed a thrilling period of play when Broad cranked it up during the Test series, both then and when he gave Clarke a thorough working over. The difference is that you didn't enjoy it for what it was because it was an Englishman doing it, and so you've skated over it. I don't blame you, but it remains the case that for us that was a truly thrilling couple of passages of high class fast bowling.
Tim Collins
Roar Rookie
I agree, the bowling throughout the series was to a very high standard from a tactical and technical point of view. I never argued that it wasn't. However, what we saw for the bulk of the series were bowlers toiling away on dreadfully dull pitches, being forced to send down hundreds of 80-85mph deliveries. That's certainly no fault of their own, you simply can't sustain blistering pace in Tests on those sort of decks. Yes Broad did briefly hit 90mph at Durham when he got his tail up, but that wasn't the case for the vast majority of the series. I'm not criticising the bowlers for the pace they bowled at, simply saying that it's exciting to watch a guy bowl flat out and cause immense problems for the batsman. In a pretty dull ODI series, it's definitely the highlight
Mitcher
Guest
We've won it enough times, it's essentially ours...
ChrisUK
Guest
Damn. Busted! ;)
fadida
Guest
I see what you're up to ChrisUK. Talking him up to try and get him picked, knowing he'll get carted all over the paddock. Bloody poms! :D
JimmyB
Guest
Retain the cup?
ChrisUK
Guest
Johnson's fascinating. Part of the reason for the derision he gets from English crowds is because he IS a threat, not because he isn't. Knowing that he has a tendency to wilt under the stick is precisely the reason they do it. The estimable Harris aside, you wouldn't fear being taken apart by this Australian attack (which doesn't mean it can't or won't happen) but there's no fear factor about them. Except with Johnson. Because when he does get it right he's unplayable. He's erratic, but he is a matchwinner. Given the merits of both sides, I'd say that was a risk worth taking for Australia.
ChrisUK
Guest
Broad was up at 92mph at Chester le Street. Funny how that gets categorised as "medium pace" isn't it?
ozbloke
Guest
I've been a huge fan of his since his glory days.I think Johnson has to be one of the greats if not 'THE' greatest,ODI bowlers we've ever produced.given that when on song,he is as lethal as Wasim at his prime.his approach to the crease is as strong as i've seen anytime before.his follow thru even stronger.if Starc misses out on an Ashes berth,Mitch will be Clarke's go to man.a like for like replacement if you want to call it so.I think if he's around for that 2015 WC,we have a very strong chance to retain the cup.his batting is a plus too.a few lusty blows here and there could swing the balance of the game.
JimmyB
Guest
"After a tour which has seen a mind numbing parade of rather tedious medium paced bowling (Ryan Harris the exception)" Sorry what? The bowling from both sides Tim was by and large first rate, not as quick as Johnson, but certainly no less interesting to watch. Was Broad bowling to Clarke mind numbingly tedious? With regards Mitch at Lords. Many better bowlers than him have struggled with the slope at Lords where you only have to be fractionally off line at that pace for it to turn in to a horror show. I find it quite amusing that you label Mitch as being shy both on and off the pitch, where to Pommy observers he seems brash and cocky, hence a good deal of the stick he receives from English crowds. I suspect that Australians have an identikit Aussie fast bowler in their minds and it's made up of parts of Lillee, Thommo, Merv etc. Anyone would seem shy and retiring next to Lillee or Merv wouldn't they?
Steven McBain
Roar Guru
Johnson's certainly an interesting one and his stats probably don't look too bad, it's just the extremes he's capable of between good and bad that go into collating those stats. That in itself can sometimes be good for him, as if he has no idea what's coming out of his hand then you can be damn sure the batsmen has even less idea, all he knows is it will get to him quickly. As an England fan, I think you have better bowlers, and by that I mean more reliable and consistent bowlers right now. Siddle and Harris (if fit) are shoe ins for me and you have good options for the third seamer, I guess it's just the injury profile right now that is the problem. One thing I can say is that Johnson, especially at home puts the wind up the English batsmen. The Sky Sports guys were already talking about Johnson at length at the end of the 5th test at the Oval in the context of probably the Gabba and Perth. They were almost expecting him to play. I think Johnson offers the same conundrum that Devon Malcolm offered years ago for England in that on his day he could beat teams on his own but there just weren't enough of those days to justify it. If everyone's fit I'd pass him over personally but if he does get a gig at some point, the English batsmen won'f fancy him I'm sure.
James
Guest
and it was at about the time vettel joined red bull the weber started spruiking swisse too.
Matt F
Roar Guru
I have no issue with Johnson in the ODI side. His one day record is very good. Even when his test form went off the rails, his ODI performances were generally quite good, if a tad inconsistent at times. There is a strong case for his ODI selection. He shouldn't be in the test side though. Some players are simply more suited to one format than another
matt h
Guest
Good Mitch we remember you well! Mitch has always been good in one day games though, as batsman have to play at the one sliding across if they want to score. And of course he can be seriously quick. Come to think of it Bret Lee was the same, generally much better at limited overs cricket. I would love to see Mitch back in Test cricket and firing like he did in that SA series. It was at the time, the best alround series I'd seen. Here's hoping. Are Mitch and Phil Hughes actually twins? Both came to the fore in that SA series and were thought to be the absolute next big thing. Both went to England and got shattered and have never been the same since. Both constantly tell us they have remodelled their technique and "this time" it will be different. Mitch was actually better than many remember. His stats stand up in the very good category: 205 wickets at 30.93 and a strike rate of 55.3.
Trenno
Guest
Still to this day, Mitchell is the fastest bowler I ever umpired in 'Indoor Cricket'. In 1999 Mitchell came down and played a Colts game (under 20's) for the Currajong Cougars in Townsville. I had heard about the Australian U19's Cricket player having a run so I was eager to see what the difference was between the ordinary player as opposed to the 'next big thing'. I lucked out and was asked to umpire his game. He wasn't much with the bat in Indoor but when he bowled, my eyes couldn't keep up with it. It was awesome. I tried really hard to keep my eye on that yellow ball but it was hitting the net in front of me before my brain could comprehend that he had actually let go of the ball. All that from one of the nicest people I have ever met. He had time for everyone, no matter who you were. I believe Mitchell has the talent and NOW the mental strength (which a lot of players lack when they are young) to make a comeback to test cricket, and a well deserved one. Keep going Mitch, keep firing out those 150km lightning bolts and prove the doubters wrong.
Hookin' YT
Guest
McGrath, Alderman and McKenzie have, respectively, 157, 100 and 96 ashes wickets. How fast did they bowl? Barking up the wrong tree.
Trenno
Guest
Yet he has made Trott, Root and Pietersen look ordinary. Whats the old chestnut: you can only play against the players they field!
Trenno
Guest
JOC is another Swisse ambassador. And dont get me started on Brut: Watson, Genia...