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Australia coach Darren Lehmann is confident spearhead Mitchell Johnson can be just as fearsome on a more placid pitch in Port Elizabeth.
South Africa captain Graeme Smith suggested after his side slumped to a 281-run loss that they would be better equipped to negotiate Johnson’s shock-and-awe assault in the second Test.
Johnson recorded career-best Test match figures of 12-127 on Saturday when the Proteas yielded tamely in the opening bout of the three-Test series.
Smith downplayed the need for video sessions or technique tweaks, saying a bouncy Centurion pitch was what made him unplayable in both innings.
Lehmann expected all his bowlers, including Johnson, would adapt and perform well in a clash that could trigger the Proteas’ first Test series loss since 2009.
“He was really effective in Adelaide when it was a flatter wicket and reversed a bit,” he said.
“All our bowlers adapted well in the different conditions in those five matches (in the Ashes) and we need to adapt game to game to get better.”
Smith suggested the Centurion wicket “played a big role in the success” Johnson had in the first Test.
“He was able to extract every bit of life and uncertainty out of that wicket, which in turn put us under an immense amount of pressure,” Smith said.
“Credit to him for the way he performed … (but) I think our game plans and mindsets are good.
“It’s not long ago that we can think back to big moments in games where we’ve been able to put him under pressure.
“The key for us now is that as a top order we set some big partnerships.”
Smith also took a swipe at the legitimacy of Johnson’s recent record – 49 Test wickets at an average of 13.14 since the start of the Ashes.
“The stats, even in the Ashes, say that he picked up a lot of lower-order wickets.”
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