Mitchell Johnson: Rising from the Ashes

Mitchell Johnson of Australia

It’s not every day that you find a fast bowler sporting a handlebar mustache. No wonder Mitchell Johnson had raised numerous eyebrows and invited mockery from the English fans when he came in to the series showing off his neatly shaped facial hair. For the next five Tests, however, he ensured that he ended up with enough reasons to twirl that mustache.

It’s an open secret that Johnson cherishes his image of a pantomime villain, especially after what has transpired in Australia in the last few weeks. 37 wickets in 5 matches at an average of 13.97 is one Herculean effort against a team that had been ranked No.1 not too long ago. It’s not merely statistics though. The essence of Johnson’s feat lies in the manner he has dominated the opposition batsmen and infused fear in their hearts.

Make no mistake – this is the same Mitchell Johnson who had been sidelined for a major part of the last year owing to form and fitness issues. Back in the rolls of the longest format, he arranged for exciting stuff in the middle as he paralyzed batsmen and entertained a stunned crowd with his menacing spells throughout the entire series.

Even though Australia had reclaimed the Ashes urn with two Tests remaining, Johnson was yet to satiate his hunger. He continued to hound the English batsmen with the fierceness of a starving lion, much to the irony of the emblem on the England cap. He petrified them with his pace, deceived them with his movement and intimidated them with his bounce.

At 150 kph, he derived movement in both directions and reduced the Alastair Cooks to such a pitiable state that England looked like a bunch of school kids against the Malcolm Marshalls. Seldom do you experience such nervousness, anticipation and thrill every time a fast bowler runs towards the popping crease in a Test match.

In each of his spells, Mitchell Johnson has exuded such brutality that even the average spectator has felt pity for the opposition. In an age where cricket rules mollycoddle batsmen with the restriction on bouncers being thrust on bowlers like a heavy chain round their ankles, Johnson has greeted at least half a dozen batsmen with bruises on the chest or arm.

Johnson’s belligerence, however, hasn’t been restricted to his bouncers. Both teams have been bitter rivals in the past and they continued that legacy even in this series. Gaining an upper hand early on in the series sanctioned an unofficial license for Australia who craftily merged their on-field aggression with off-field mind games. The pressure of sledging amplified to such an extent that Jonathan Trott was persuaded to declare abstinence from cricket citing stress related problems.

The submissiveness displayed by England while handling Johnson was a testament to the fact that the left-arm seamer had been successful in instilling fear in the hearts of the batsmen. They looked to play him out and failed miserably at that – apart from Ben Stokes, of course, who has displayed immense responsibility in both batting and bowling. The likes of Ian Bell paid the price heavily for attempting to negotiate Johnson’s deliveries as they ultimately succumbed to his fury.

That England’s first innings scores could never exceed 275 in the entire series speaks volumes about how they have been tamed by one man. The comeback man has certainly showcased enough character by grabbing the Man of the Series award quite deservingly as Australia completed a whitewash of the Ashes in an absolutely dominating fashion.

As highlighted by the Australian skipper Michael Clarke, Johnson deserves full credit for coping with criticisms and answering them appropriately with the ball. Bowling at such pace is extraordinary in itself; maintaining consistency at that level is downright phenomenal.

Mitchell Johnson’s ruthless treatment of the English batsmen drew rich accolades from his skipper who called him as ‘one of the greatest’. Placing him on the same throne as Richard Hadlee, Brett Lee and Jason Gillespie, nevertheless, seem quite far-fetched and almost outrageous considering the ordinariness prevailing at present in the English camp.

That, however, takes away no credit from Johnson and the Australian team may well be blessed to have him in such destructive form at such a crucial phase of transition. At 32, he may be nearing the twilight of his career, but as an Australian, one hopes that Johnson is yet to hit his purple patch.