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.
Jack Smith
Roar Guru
+999999999999999
Jack Smith
Roar Guru
They are using a different pitch for Adelaide. They have multiple pitches, the one they have been using won't be used on Thursday.
Deccas
Guest
Looks like the pitch is set to be green and bouncy so its a moot point now really. Harris has to play Adelaide, if its green he can best exploit it, if its flat he is most likely to take wickets and keep the runs down. I would like to see him rested at Perth. With either Pattinson or Bird I think Siddle and Johnson will be potent enough at the Waca to take 20 odd wickets. Even if they were to drop Johnson, which I would council against on a green wicket Faulkner would be the only replacement and I don't think his performance at adelaide in the shield warrent that a call up.
Deccas
Guest
Maybe you misread, the article I wrote didn't suggest just speculated. If the pitch plays like it has in the shield, johnsons best weapons may be largely nullified. Maybe it is better to let him run into perth fresh. A second question was posed, of a similar nature which was when will Harris be rested. will it be perth or melbourne or sydney. We'd want our best bowler in the deciding games so maybe he should sit out one of the next two. Thoughts may be entertained without being put into action.
Prosenjit majumdar
Guest
Thus regain all the confidence they lost from the gabba bashing.
Prosenjit majumdar
Guest
Rest both harris and johnson, that will help england pile up 600 runs..
Prosenjit majumdar
Guest
The roar must place this article in their hall of fame..
Tony Loedi
Roar Guru
Johnson is NO chance of being dropped. You need a strike bowler like that, especially when the pitch isnt offering much help like the one at Adelaide. But having said a second quality spinner (I'm not including Smith and Clarke in that category) would be handy on that pitch. My choice would be O'keefe, he's been putting up impressive numbers for a few years now in all forms of the game but continues to get overlooked. The change that I could see being made is Bailey getting dropped (which would be extremely harsh after one test) and Haddin being pushed up to number 6 in the batting order with O'keefe and Johnson to follow. For the record though I believe Australia will stick with a winning formula and not make any changes.
RMC
Roar Pro
Declan, interesting premise. I had actually thought it wouldn't be a bad option to play a second spinner (O'Keefe or Zampa), especially if Watson can get through about 10 overs a day. The only reason I would rotate one of the quicks is to play a spinner. Also dropping/resting Johnson isn't without its merits. If he goes for say 2/150 he may lose confidence for Perth, where he always loomed as a great threat. He was dropped for the 2nd test last Ashes series, but returned to destroy the Poms at Perth. I also think playing Harris is a must, given he was the only bowler to be at all threatening there last series. I would try and get Harris to play the first three tests, then if he needs a rest hopefully Pattinson, Bird or Starc will be fit to take his place. Unless the pitch really looks like crumbling, I would stick with the attack we have and rely on Smith and maybe Clarke to support Lyon. Besides, a spinner should have been called in by now if he were going to play.
RMC
Roar Pro
I understand the 'keep the foot on the throat' mentality but to me its ridiculous to drop Watson, a batting all rounder, for Johnson. The batting isn't convincing, and your weakening a weakness to strengthen a strength. Also who bats at 3?
roger
Guest
That wouldn't be the worst side. Rogers Warner Watto Clarke Smith Haddin Faulkner Siddle Harris LYon Ahmed. 2 spinners, 4 seamers, Ahmed & Faulkner replcing Bails and MJ so you lose some batting but I have a feeling its just going to be a road so I don't think that should be too much of an issue. Save MJ for Perth and the extra bowlers give Harris and siddle protection from Perth as well if they have an extra bowler (plus a fully fit watto) to share the load. It sounds ok in theory anyway but such an exercise if it backfired (&Eng went on to win the series) would cost the selectors their job so I can't seethem taking that risk. Then i'd rest Harris from Perth and hope that Patto or Bird are fit. If not hope Rhyno can back up
davros
Guest
I wrote yesterday that I would rest both Johnson and harris...possibly pick butterworth who was the pick of the quicks in last shield game and who also happens to have pretty awesome shield stats ...Faulkner only got a couple of wicks on the last day when redbacks were chasing quick runs ...I like the idea of 2 frontline spinners for the next test ...but bear in mind zampa got taken down a bit there aslo ....one thing im sure of is you will not blast the poms out there ....and you run the very real chance of bowling your guns into the ground on what will probably be from all recent evidence one of the flatest test wickets ever produced in this country ...3 days before the perth test
Cameron
Roar Guru
This is a very silly question!
Graham Smith
Roar Guru
Good point Perth is only a few days after Adelaide and we saw what happened last year. They can't afford to over cook the bowlers. If they don't want to play two spinners like Ahmed maybe include Faulkner instead of Bailey and let him do the donkey work with 5 bowlers plus Watson and Smith
cwrigh13
Guest
sorry but no
ChrisB
Guest
Australia have tried way too much of this too clever nonsense over recent years. Sure you make some concessions to pitch conditions, the other teams strengths & weaknesses etc, but by and large you pick your best team when fit. He's got the wind up some of them, don't take the foot off now
twodogs
Guest
You're joking, right Declan? The poms have clearly crumbled against him and you want to untie the noose? If anything, drop Watto and put MJ as allrounder to be used as impact bowler. He is clearly and better player and, fitter.
Broken-heartedToy
Guest
Johnson rarely has two really good matches in a row, but if anybody should be rested it's Harris as Perth is hot on the heels after Adelaide. I thought Johnson had a poor record at Adelaide but it's actually quite good. New pitch though, no-one really knows if the curator can crank up the bounce in it.