Mitchell Johnson

[irottev]

This is the way I see it. He doesn't get swing. He doesn't get seam. He doesn't bowl overly accurate. He gets a lot of his wickets because of

1. Left armer's angle going across right handers.
2. He's pretty quick.
3. Luck - a good proportion of his wickets seem to come this way.

I actually think he's pretty ordinary. He doesn't really move the ball so once batsmen start seeing more of him they'll be able to cope with the first 2. He'll never be consistent becuse he just isn't as skilled as a Steyn who has the pace but also gets swing and has great accuracy.

 

[pcfan123]

This is the way I see it. He doesn't get swing. He doesn't get seam. He doesn't bowl overly accurate. He gets a lot of his wickets because of

1. Left armer's angle going across right handers.
2. He's pretty quick.
3. Luck - a good proportion of his wickets seem to come this way.

I actually think he's pretty ordinary. He doesn't really move the ball so once batsmen start seeing more of him they'll be able to cope with the first 2. He'll never be consistent becuse he just isn't as skilled as a Steyn who has the pace but also gets swing and has great accuracy.

damn right, Dale Steyn is a way better bowler than Mitchel Johnson, cannot compare the two, Steyn is lethal in all conditions.

 

[mattfb]

Steyn is a bloody gun. Swings it left right and center. He bowls overhead bouncers in beach cricket he's so quick.

BTW I do know that was terrible

 

[sifter132]

The main difference is McGrath kept his accuracy and didn't lose his action plus he did have the age excuse. Clearly we should have given Johnson more game time instead of cotton wooling him, but really being an International cricketer he should be able to perform after a break, Hilfy had less preparation and is going great guns.

Yes this is for true. Mitch needs to play as much as possible. ONLY if he is having niggling injuries should he ever get a rest. He loses rhythm too easily otherwise. I'm tempted to say the same applies for Brett Lee as well.

This is the way I see it. He doesn't get swing. He doesn't get seam. He doesn't bowl overly accurate. He gets a lot of his wickets because of

1. Left armer's angle going across right handers.
2. He's pretty quick.
3. Luck - a good proportion of his wickets seem to come this way.

I actually think he's pretty ordinary. He doesn't really move the ball so once batsmen start seeing more of him they'll be able to cope with the first 2. He'll never be consistent becuse he just isn't as skilled as a Steyn who has the pace but also gets swing and has great accuracy.

Mostly agree, but turn that perspective around and you have a bowler who is effective despite no swing, and lacks accuracy sometimes. With swing he would be pretty awesome. I mean he's 1 wicket off being the leading wicket taker in this series, which is astounding given how inaccurate he's been. But when he hits the right spot, it works well.

Steyn isn't all that accurate either. He doesn't bowl a lot of maidens and his economy is high. Quick proof: Last 3 years (picked time period randomly) in Tests excluding Bangladesh, Steyn has bowled 17.9% of overs as maidens (Mitch has 18.9%). Steyn has economy of 3.57 (Mitch has 3.06).

Steyn is awesome but not because he's accurate. He just gets so much movement and bowls quick.

Best in those measures? McGrath. 31% of overs were maidens, economy of 2.4. Close behind were Shaun Pollock and Stuart Clark, exactly who you'd expect. Worst? Pretty close, but RP Singh was pretty bad in 9 Tests with just 14.8% of overs are maidens, economy of 4.13. Malinga, Morne Morkel and Fidel Edwards are right down the bottom too.

 

[irottev]

Interesting stats if they're correct.

 

[chris_tavare]

Mostly agree, but turn that perspective around and you have a bowler who is effective despite no swing, and lacks accuracy sometimes. With swing he would be pretty awesome. I mean he's 1 wicket off being the leading wicket taker in this series, which is astounding given how inaccurate he's been. But when he hits the right spot, it works well.

it's the element of surprise.

"oh ?$@?! he's only gone and bowled one in the right place. argh, i am out, as i was not expecting this"

 

[Eon]

what he did in south africa is angle the ball across the right handers and have it on a line that if they would play at they would most likely not find the middle... he would swing it away from them a bit and get the edge. mainly because he was bowling where they could not play shots to...

the problem now is, because hasnt bowled alot recently he is out of form... i reckon he will come right in the next test... hopefully lol.

atleast he did alright with the bat

 

[StinkyBoHoon]

what I don't understand, and this is probably naive, he's not being caught off guard like a batsman is he? I mean a technical fault batting is pretty hard to iron out because you get like half a second to put a shot into action and you only do it when the particular ball comes along, so maybe only once every half an hour.

but he's bowling 6 balls in a row, he gets to prepare for each one, everyone and his aunty knows he's messing up because his arm is too low, surely the australian bowling coach does, why does he not just make sure he gets it as high as possible, even if it means taking the pace off. why has no one said this to him?

 

[aussie1st]

Who knows what's going on in our camp. I suspect he didn't look this bad in the nets hence none of the coaches were able to help him then. But it is hard to change your action in a few days which is all he had between the tour match and then the test match so even if the coaches spotted it, getting him to do it before the Test matches is always going to be a big ask.

The coaches will definitely work on him over the 10 day break, I hope this is just him needing more game time as actually changing your action to go higher means you will be forcing it and that can lead to stray deliveries.

 

[angryangy]

Bowling is difficult and rectifying faults is not a quick task. Everything is biomechanically connected and changing one little thing affects the motions of the other parts. Conversely, one obvious symptom might be chiefly caused by less obvious issues in other areas.

 

[Eon]

Simply he is low on confidence... you can even see it, he doesnt have the same swagger he had in south africa. which isnt going to help him bowl well

 

[smssia0112]

I think the fact that people are suggesting he be dropped for Lee is a little rich. He's basically doing the exact same thing Lee usually does - bowl one-dimensionally and take wickets based on pace and luck.

 

[aussie1st]

The main reason for wanting Lee over Johnson is reverse swing. The spell in the tour match was near on unplayable. Other than that Johnson has more luck with the lucky wickets.

 

[smssia0112]

The main reason for wanting Lee over Johnson is reverse swing. The spell in the tour match was near on unplayable. Other than that Johnson has more luck with the lucky wickets.

I don't buy it, Lee showed some great form against New Zealand and then went back to his worst against quality opposition the next series (SAF). I think Lee and Johnson have a similar chance of swinging it really - only when conditions are right and luck is going their way.

 

[jordox]

I don't buy it, Lee showed some great form against New Zealand and then went back to his worst against quality opposition the next series (SAF). I think Lee and Johnson have a similar chance of swinging it really - only when conditions are right and luck is going their way.

Lee bowled one of the greatest spells I've seen recently. Johnson has nearly blown Australia's chances at times. Lee has reverse swung the ball on many occasions in England, Johnson hasn't.

That's what it comes down to. I don't give two hoots what Lee used to bowl like, or what Johnson did against South Africa. Lee bowled well this tour, Johnson hasn't. Presuming Lee is fit, he must play. Last time he played he showed serious brilliance with that reverse swing and if he bowls anywhere near like that, Australia will win.

But, from what I've heard Lee wont be ready. If I was Australian, I'd want Johnson to stay away. If he bowls like that again, Australia could very well be 2-0 down. Keeping him in the team is just hanging on to hope that he will bounce back.