http://www.senore.com/Cricket/MG-Johnson-c1945’s fallibility - Part 1 - Opinion
When he first arrived into labyrinth of international cricket, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 in the future. He was fast, fearsome and had the tendency to blow the opposition into submission.
Johnson was considered to be the next Jeff http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Thompson-c93900 of Australian cricket, where his slinging left arm action could not be more similar than that of Johnson in his prime. He also had the attitude along with the action. Much of Johnson’s attributes have not
changed, yet the truth is that what started out as a promising career with a wealth of expectations is now a hot and cold story. The best way to sum up Johnson is that when he is good, he is very good and when he is bad, he is simply awful.
Johnson is what http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 a few years ago. The latter eventually became embroiled in a spot fixing scandal that shook the subcontinent, which meant that his days as a cricketer became bloated, tags which most Pakistanis are not unfamiliar
with. Johnson on the other hand has had his career bloated, with a series of injuries and poor performances on the field, amid all the expectations that he carries. His slinging action is characterized by extensive stress on his left arm, which has caused
him to sit out on many occasions. His susceptibility to injury is widely acknowledged by the management and Johnson himself. The desire to play for Australia is something that the tenacious Johnson has been rewarded for, as he continues to grapple and fight
injuries. For the batsmen however, facing the Mitchell Johnson of today can be a disenchanting experience, as he can be peppered if one deals with him with assurance, astuteness and prudence.
The danger that Johnson poses however, is obvious enough. He can swing the ball prodigiously, extract significant seam movement and has a knack of making the ball talk. What has served Johnson well however, is that he can swing the ball both ways on wickets
which are conducive to fast bowling. That asset in his armory has yielded significant dividends for an Australian side, which was dealing with losing bowlers of the caliber of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Glenn-Donald-McGrath-c60183.
It is safe to say that batsmen equipped with a good technique can handle Johnson well, yet at times, his in dippers, after making the ball move away, can be unplayable. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757 was one batsman who had to bear the brunt of Johnson’s
bowling which was characterized by considerable movement both ways on a lively pitch at Durban.
Similarly, Johnson has snared players such as http://www.senore.com/Cricket/KC-Sangakkara-c1779 at regular intervals by bowling deliveries in that corridor of uncertainty. The array of deliveries that he has at his disposal is certainly unquestionable, yet the expectation
which surrounded a man like Johnson, became unrealistic after he was exposed in the encounters which followed his heroics in the nascent stages of his career.
The reasons for Johnson’s decline became quite obvious in various games. The 2009 Ashes series which was played in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/AN-Cook-c1026 managed to decimate his figures badly. The whirling action
became open to misdirected deliveries at the pads of the players, or rank half volleys which could be put away with ease. Johnson had a horrendous Ashes series of 2009 and worse was to come in Australia. A few years later, Johnson found himself at the receiving
end of another faltering Ashes campaign as his bowling spells at numerous venues such as Brisbane, were far from convincing. He lacked the venom and fire power that many had associated Johnson with. He became predictable for opposition batsmen, and despite
coming up with occasional brilliance on the field, there were times when he looked less than ordinary.
Continued in Part 2...
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