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After one of the best performances under a baggy green cap all year at the Gabba, it might seem ludicrous to drop Mitchell Johnson for the Adelaide Test. But it should occur to the selectors that it might be a wise decision.
The justification for dropping the best player of the last game rests on the difference in the wickets. The Adelaide Oval has a new drop-in wicket which alredy this year has produced three scores over 400 and three more over 350.
The most successful bowling performances have been spinners. Johan Botha and Xavier Doherty have had the best match figures at the venue with 5/114 and 7/141 respectively.
The venue’s most successful fast bowlers have been the less than zippy but consistent and accurate Luke Butterworth and Chadd Sayers, who picked up four wickets each in Tasmania’s recent draw against South Australia.
Both Adam Zampa and Johan Botha have four-wicket match hauls at the venue. It seems to be playing to favour long spells and keeping the runs down – something our bowling attack did to great success in England.
Johnson is certainly not incompatible with this type of plan. If the other bowlers all keep it very tight, it puts pressure on the batsmen to score off Johnson.
He is clearly pretty unpleasant to face up to and if the best opportunities to score come at your least comfortable time as a batsmen, that is likely to contribute to a false shot.
But will this be the best way of taking 20 wickets at Adelaide? Or will Johnson be milked for runs on a pitch low on bounce and lacking in pace, and let down the pressure built up by his bowling partners?
By bowling on a wicket less than conducive to his style, will the English get time to work out how to play him without the fear that makes him so deadly?
In short, will playing at Adelaide make him less effective at Perth? It seems a possibility.
There may be an argument for two spinners, given that Shane Watson or James Faulkner provide an option as a third seemer capable of keeping things tight and taking a couple of wickets.
Fawad Ahmed would be the favourite in this scenario – his returns have been acceptable in the Shield to date and he offers variety from Lyon.
Both Cameron Boyce and Steve O’Keefe sit well above him in the wicket takers’ list, so strong arguments could also be made for their inclusion. Critics would counter with Boyce’s lack of experience, while O’Keefe – like Lyon – might lack variety.
Harris’ fitness is something that is also important for the selectors to consider. His performance in Brisbane, though unheralded, was outstanding.
Keeping him fit for the series is widely cited as a key to Australian success. Should we rest him in Perth or Melbourne? Maybe it is best to let him push through as long as he can.
Both James Pattinson and Jackson Bird are expected to come back from injury by the third Test so if Harris is rested then, or after there will at least be some firepower to come in and take his place.
Once Pattinson and Bird are fit, there might be some welcome selection headachess. Harris is far and away our best and Johnson looks set to make English lives misery for longer in the series, while Siddle has for so long carried our attack.
Siddle was the least threatening of all the bowlers of the Brisbane test, but still bowled well. One spell troubled Pietersen and a great delivery got rid of the entrenched Ian Bell, putting an end to the English resistance.
He still has two or more Tests to make himself indispensable and any calls to drop him are very premature. That these calls occur so often is interesting, given how effective he has been over the past two years.
But I think it is a recognition that in two to five years, fit and experienced versions of Starc, Pattinson, Faulkner and Patrick Cummins – as well as natural decline – are likely to relegate him to the fringes of selection.
Being national selector is a demanding job – they are slated for every mistake and praise goes only to the players that are selected and perform.
Often the criticism is worthy, but in this case the selectors deserve a quiet tip of the hat because in Brisbane, Johnson was supreme.
Let’s hope that their form as well as his, stays hot for the summer.
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