Mitchell Johnson

[Gunnar Longshanks]

After several tests?

What's the question?

Was it legitimate to ask whether he was our third-best quick?

Absolutely.

Why would it not be legitimate to ask that question?

 

[DeadlyAkkuret]

I can already see where this thread is going.

 

[sirviv]

Got to be the most overrated bowler in the world. Everyone loves him for some reason. He either bowls 5 feet outside off stump or 3 feet down leg. He does not get batsmen out they get themselves out to leg side catches most of the time. Siddell should be playing this last test. Its about time these selectors made a hard call instead of taking the easy option every series.

 

[Masten_Magic]

Give him a chance
stop changing the bowling line up

 

[Bloods boy from the Bush]

Got to be the most overrated bowler in the world. Everyone loves him for some reason. He either bowls 5 feet outside off stump or 3 feet down leg. He does not get batsmen out they get themselves out to leg side catches most of the time. Siddell should be playing this last test. Its about time these selectors made a hard call instead of taking the easy option every series.

Leading wicket-taker for the series so far so he can't be that bad. I've never been a huge rap for Mitch but hes the only bowler who has looked like getting a wicket this series.

 

[King Elvis]

Leading wicket-taker for the series so far so he can't be that bad. I've never been a huge rap for Mitch but hes the only bowler who has looked like getting a wicket this series.

I agree with you, and the thread starter.

His problem is he bowls a few wicket taking balls, a lot of shit, and not much in between. Most of his wickets are from either a very good delivery, or a very poor decision by the batsmen - he struggles to build pressure and smother batsmen out.

 

[Dez!]

Got to be the most overrated bowler in the world. Everyone loves him for some reason. He either bowls 5 feet outside off stump or 3 feet down leg. He does not get batsmen out they get themselves out to leg side catches most of the time. Siddell should be playing this last test. Its about time these selectors made a hard call instead of taking the easy option every series.

Yes because Lee and Clark have been better this series.



Been our best bowler by far this series.

 

[Bloods boy from the Bush]

I agree with you, and the thread starter.

His problem is he bowls a few wicket taking balls, a lot of shit, and not much in between. Most of his wickets are from either a very good delivery, or a very poor decision by the batsmen - he struggles to build pressure and smother batsmen out.

Yeah great point he doesn't keep it tight and build pressure at the other end. He and Lee are not a good bowling partnership as neither are a really tight bolwer.

 

[Chris25]

I have to agree with the opening post. Johnson is extremely overrated, and you have to feel that he is just keeping the spot warm until someone better comes along. I wouldn't be surprised to see Tait, Hilfenhaus and Magoffin all get chances in the NZ tests.

He rarely ever bowls two good balls in a row. He will bowl an entire spell and only make the batsman play a handful of balls. The rest will be way down off side. And usually the only wickets he gets are from bad balls that should be put away for four, but the batsman makes a mistake and gets out. He builds no pressure on the batsman, to the extent where a good ball shocks the batter and he gets out because he doesn't know what just happened.

Despite that he has managed to take the most wickets for the series, so kudos to Johnson for doing that with minimal skill. But I think that stat is more damning on Lee, Clark and White / Clarke. They are bowling that poorly, that someone bowling only average is getting the wickets.

So even though he has taken the wickets, he should still be the first of the fast bowlers dropped for the NZ and SA tests. Even though Clark and Lee haven't performed well, we all know how good they are on Australian pitches. Unless Johnson can suddenly start swinging the ball, he isn't a required player.

 

[The 747]

MJ is coming along well.

Considering he is learning on the job.

For all the Ishant Sharma hype, MJ has played the same number of Tests for considerably more wickets.

Our fastest bowler now, getting some aggression into his bowling.

Needs to keep improving though is not the finished article.

 

[Alpha1]

MJ is coming along well.

Considering he is learning on the job.

For all the Ishant Sharma hype, MJ has played the same number of Tests for considerably more wickets.

Our fastest bowler now, getting some aggression into his bowling.

Needs to keep improving though is not the finished article.

Yes and Sharma plays most of his home games on tracks that arent bowler friendly.

 

[Bomber Bears]

MJ is coming along well.

Considering he is learning on the job.

For all the Ishant Sharma hype, MJ has played the same number of Tests for considerably more wickets.

Our fastest bowler now, getting some aggression into his bowling.

Needs to keep improving though is not the finished article.

Theres a small age difference between the two also, and the fact that Sharma is showing movement etc, whereas Johnson puts it straight across the batsmen.

 

[MaccaKnowsBest]

MJ is coming along well.

Considering he is learning on the job.

If only he could stop bowling with a scrambled seam!! We need to have a good left arm, inswinging bowler. Doesn't Nathan Bracken swing the ball??

IMO, I do slightly agree with the opening post. MJ has been very lucky with a number of his wickets but he has improved over time. I think the fact that he is our leading wicket taker is more a reflection of our poor bowling performances rather than MJ's bowling ability. My opinion anyway.

 

[FRUMPY]

If he could get the ball to move into the right handers every now and then they would have to play at a lot more deliveries. At the moment right handers can leave 90% of his bowling as he just angles it across them.

Seems a bowler when he gets in the right position can get wickets. Just doesnt do enough of it, and has gotten some wickets from shocking shots. Worth perservering with but got the feeling if he wasnt left handed he wouldnt be getting a game!

 

[The 747]

Yes and Sharma plays most of his home games on tracks that arent bowler friendly.

Even for you that is a pretty stupid comment. Considering 8 out of the 12 games the two have played have been on the same pitches Get a brain

 

[The 747]

Theres a small age difference between the two also, and the fact that Sharma is showing movement etc, whereas Johnson puts it straight across the batsmen.

I was not saying MJ is a better prospect than Ishant because he obviously is not.

Just worth noting though, MJ cops a lot of heat and Ishant gets a lot of love but so far in their careers Johnson has a better record from exactly the same number of Tests.

 

[Chris25]

Just worth noting though, MJ cops a lot of heat and Ishant gets a lot of love but so far in their careers Johnson has a better record from exactly the same number of Tests.

Johnson has taken more wickets, yes. But when you consider that Johnson has bowled in 4 more innings than Sharma has, you would hope he has taken more wickets. I think you'll find their averages, strike rates and economy rates are essentially exactly the same.

Seriously stats only prove so much, and when the comparison is between a 27 year old and a 20 year old, they prove very little.

 

[Leo Barry You Star]

Nathan Bracken must have done something behind the scenes to piss off the selectors. Maybe with Clark, Lee and potentially Casson in the side they're too scared to include him due to accusations of NSW bias? Would explain why Bollinger was overlooked for Siddle

 

[The Casey Cat]

Oh great another terrible original 'I hate Johnson' thread . Perhaps you could have done a little search and put your ignorant post in one of his other threads that could not be that far back.

 

[The 747]

Nathan Bracken must have done something behind the scenes to piss off the selectors. Maybe with Clark, Lee and potentially Casson in the side they're too scared to include him due to accusations of NSW bias? Would explain why Bollinger was overlooked for Siddle

Surely this is not a serious post.

Bracken was tried in Test cricket and was pathetic. Showed zero ability to trouble Test class players with the red ball.

That is why he does not get picked.

 

[saj_21]

Nathan Bracken must have done something behind the scenes to piss off the selectors. Maybe with Clark, Lee and potentially Casson in the side they're too scared to include him due to accusations of NSW bias? Would explain why Bollinger was overlooked for Siddle

Nathan bracken bowls at 135 khm's at best and does not swing the red ball, all the poeple calling for him to SOS are rediculous not to mention he is injured at the moment.

Noffkee, Siddle, Bollinger, Hilfy, and to a lesser extent Magoffin, Nannes are all in front of bracken as the next in line for test matches.

As for siddle over bollinger the selectors chose siddle purely due tohim being a right arm bowler as opposed to bollingers being left armer, the selectors didnt want to have to left arm bowlers in the same team.

As for mitch johnson all i can say is hoooorraaaahh bowls a ball the finally swings and wouldn't ya know it he got a wicket Tendulkar LBW. Who would of thought swining the ball back into the right handers gets wickets?

 

[Alpha1]

I was not saying MJ is a better prospect than Ishant because he obviously is not.

Just worth noting though, MJ cops a lot of heat and Ishant gets a lot of love but so far in their careers Johnson has a better record from exactly the same number of Tests.

And I am not saying MJ is a bad bowler either. He has plenty of guts and gives it 110%. But he still needs to learn how to hold the seam up rather than scramble it allover the place. I think thats why so many people say that he is overrated. I would say that at the moment both he and Sharma need to improve a lot, I guess it is easier for Ishant in that he is actually showing improvement.

 

[Leo Barry You Star]

For those comparing the Test records of Ishant and MJ it would be worth noting that one has played most of their Tests on the flat pitches of India while the other has played mainly in Australia and the West Indies

 

[Cousin Jed]

For those comparing the Test records of Ishant and MJ it would be worth noting that one has played most of their Tests on the flat pitches of India while the other has played mainly in Australia and the West Indies

Well actually they've pretty much played on the same pitches. Not to mention none of those 3 places offer much for fast bowlers these days.

 

[FRUMPY]

If you look at the stats, Sharma has a slightly better average and strike rate. Its minimal but better. The reason Johnson has more wicket sis because he's bowled a fair few more overs than Sharma, in the same amount of games. This is probably due to the fact India prefer spinners.

As for Bracken, he is no good in Test cricket, been proved. He only bowls at around 125kms and test players can play him easily. The reason he does well in ODI's is because he moves the white ball and batsmen target him to score from, as he is only a medium/fast bowler.