I know not everyone enjoys facing thunderbolts at 150 kilometres an hour, but there are a few secrets that can make this adjustment quite easy.
Having watched the Ashes and the Australian tour of South Africa I was able to study what different batsmen did when trying to stay alive against Mitchell Johnson.
When bowlers are clocking around 150kmh batsmen don’t have much time to react. In fact they only have 0.48 seconds to decide what shot they need to play.
It doesn’t help that most of the Australian players are verbally abusing you from ball one.
I felt so sorry for poor James Anderson when Michael Clarke walked up to him asking if he “wanted a broken arm”. I could see the fear in his eyes and he was just praying not to die in the innings.
He survived, and did not retire from Test cricket, might I add.
So enough about the bowlers who are trying to survive and not get injured while batting. Let’s move onto the top-order batsmen who supposedly know how to face bowlers.
England struggled throughout the series with the extra pace. Firstly, I don’t think they practiced against that pace before coming over.
Kevin Pietersen was definitely the best and bravest English batsman in this series. His presence and positive head and foot movements to the ball put Johnson under pressure compared to the rest of his team, who were just standing and waiting for him to bowl.
On the other side of the globe you had the best Test player in the world, AB de Villiers, play Johnson with ease. He never looked troubled at all, with a simple game plan that worked from ball one.
If we analyse Pietersen and de Villiers, you will notice that they both had trigger movements that got them on off stump or just outside long before the ball was delivered.
Doing this allows you to know exactly where off stump is, so that you are not playing away from your body on both front and back foot. The early trigger also helps with picking the ball up more quickly, as your head is still on release.
Another very important part of success against Johnson is that when he digs it in short your hands cannot go up with the ball. Instead, as the ball climbs your hands have to drop.
I can remember so many players getting ‘snicked off’ on the back foot pushing away from their bodies, with their feet far outside the line of the ball.
So many players think that by standing outside the line of the ball that it will save them from being hit. If only they knew it’s the opposite that prevents injury.
Being brave and getting in line or sometimes inside the line of the ball is much safer, and forces the bowler to come up with another plan.
My tips for facing Johnson are as follows:
1) Trigger early across to off stump or just outside
2) Stay in line or get inside the line of the ball
3) Play the ball as late as you can (soft hands when defending)
4) Drop your hands when he bowls short or back of a length
5) Punish him when he bowls in your area
I’m looking forward to his next Test series on good quick decks just to see how batsmen combat his extra pace. There is nothing better than watching a fast bowler steaming in at a batsman who is in complete control, only to take a look at the pace and realise it’s around 150 kilometres an hour.
This how Test cricket should be played.
It was an awesome summer for Johnson and he deserves to be in the top three bowlers in the world. All he has to do now is start reversing the ball and then batsmen will have another problem on their hands.
Next stop: the T20 World Cup!
Tad
Roar Rookie
See ball helps !.
Tad
Roar Rookie
I was at that shield game ( for a arvo) and quite a few of Johnsons deliverys i did not see, one delivery went over the batsmans head and over the top of a leaping wicketkeepers gloves to the boundary, who was half way back to the boundary anyway. It is never easy to face pace, thats why it so much better to be a middle order player than a opener.
Tad
Roar Rookie
No, you must run faster than that !.
Test Cricket
Guest
See ball. Hit ball.
felix
Guest
Ponting at his prime would murder Johnson,pity they are from the same country.
Arto
Guest
@ Barry Rhodes: Ok. Good to hear your credentials and you quite clearly know what you're talking about. Having re-read the article, I can see there is indeed a lot of information there that could be helpful to active cricketers who play fast bowling. The criticism of the article then is solely how it's presented - it's one thing to know what you're talking about, but a completely different thing to be good at explaining it. Still, as you're Rookie here at The Roar, just like me, I'm sure that the style of writing will improve with practice and that you'll have the majority of people who comment on your article complimenting you on your insights and tips. All the best with your next articles! :-) Ps. I stand by what I wrote in my first comment, but you've clarified a few things afterwards. Another point ot keep in mind is that this is an opinion website, where a lot of the contributors HAVE an opinion and often think there's a is a good one (in addition to the percentage of commentors that are keyboard warriors who think they know best!). There's a big chance a lot of people may come out and bag you if you come across as a know-it-all - just ask some of the regular contributors like Ronan O'Connell, Glenn Mitchell & Geoff Lemon! :-)
SandBox
Roar Guru
sorry, forgot to add the link http://www.bradmancopyrightmaterials.com.au/legend.htm
Pope Paul VII
Guest
I agree Sandy
SandBox
Roar Guru
according to the Bradman biography I read, plus the link I'll attach. Bradman was stepping to the on side not just for a hook or pull, but to cut to the offside (which had no fielders). Larwood would try a yorker to stop this, but Bradman would pick the ball from the hand before deciding to step, or stand and play the yorker. He still averaged almost 60 against it, and found a way to deal with a strategy designed for him only. Not sure if the backaway comment was about fear or strategy, but if it is a deliberate strategy that works, then who cares what people think?
davros
Guest
na had a good day ...I guess my point is it is easy to make up stories about how u should or even could go about it ...and there seemed to be plenty of comment about guys who only think they know how to play him ....I remembered chatting with this kid after the game ... I was quite amazed at his simple method and who would have thought to get onto the front foot with your trigger ? ....apparently MJ was none to impressed and was letting him know about it verbally every few balls ...the icing on the cake was mennie got johnsons wicket in both innings as well ...when I suggested Johnson was his bunny ...he laughed and said don't even think it ...he will kill me next time I didn't think too much about it at the time ..I knew it was gutsy ...but a couple of weeks later the second coming of MJ 's destroying the poms ...trots got psyche issues and is going home etc etc ...it really put into perspective what he had done and on the wacca no less
Pope Paul VII
Guest
We agree Steve. Interesting re Braddles. Everyone agreed he was a fine hooker and puller and best equipped to face bodyline in the orthodox manner. But that's pressure for you and wickets were want to fall regularly. Having said that hooking Johnson has proved pretty fruitless and pulling not much more.
Pope Paul VII
Guest
I like facing Johnson from behind the fence or on the lounge. Gavaskar, Boycott and etc all got by without helmets and bouncer limitations, I think their techniques were more than likely superior.
davros
Guest
well I suppose Starcy played gde at wests the other day ..and that's sort of thing does happen semi infrequently ...so it is possible
SteveOL
Roar Pro
First look at The Roar today, mate. Working like most others I suppose. Gutsy effort from Mennie but you're talking about a state cricketer who can obviously bat rather than a lounge room nuffy ,arm chair expert, level 3 coach or multi articled “guru”. Great stuff though. You had an ordinary day at work, Davros?
ak
Roar Guru
How to face Johnson? Well look at how players played Thomson & Lillee and the feared West Indians. Today's players surely have better tecniques than guys like Boycott, Gavaskar etc. This because today players go for shots too unlike these past masters whose batting was only about defence.
SteveOL
Roar Pro
The Bodyline footage shows Bradman backing away to pull (unsuccessfully) and Waugh backed away, especially in 1995, to help the short stuff over the slips. Both were looking to score. There's backing away and then there's backing away.
davros
Guest
So all u lounge room nuffies ,arm chair experts , level 3 coaches and multi articled "gurus"....ive just explained in detail an actual players experience in how to combat M Johnson told to me first hand ie someone who actually walked the walk , manned up and got the job done ...just 2 weeks later ...trotty was running home to his mum ....but no one has a comment ??? Maybe I should have written the article ? At least I would be coming from some fact based evidence .
SteveOL
Roar Pro
An extremely high level? If you're facing 145kph regularly you're either playing state firsts or seconds or district firsts. Could you give us a hint where? I'd love to follow your progress.
SteveOL
Roar Pro
Guilty
Pope Paul VII
Guest
ah dammit