Revitalised Johnson keen to hurt England

WHEN Mitchell Johnson was left out of Australia’s squad for last summer’s Ashes series it appeared the left-armer’s Test career was over.
Mitchell JohnsonMitchell Johnson
Mitchell Johnson

A victim of his own inconsistency, injuries and the new wave of Australian quicks, Johnson was pushed aside.

Fast forward six months, however, and the 32-year-old looms as possibly Australia’s trump card ahead of this winter’s battle for the little urn.

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Johnson has steamed back into contention following some blistering performances in the one-day international arena against both England and India.

Injuries to young guns such as James Pattinson, Mitchell Starc and Jackson Bird have opened the door for him, but Johnson has hacked it down with vigour.

At his best, Johnson is a match winner. A Test career furnished with 205 wickets – no current Australian bowler comes close – has been built around the types of devastating spells England have fallen victim to in Perth and Leeds in recent years.

Johnson served notice he was not yet ready to leave such days consigned to history during the limited-overs series after the Ashes, when his pace and bounce troubled the English top-order.

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It was all a far cry from only a short time ago when Johnson admitted he was “mentally gone” and had wished to suffer injury to get away from the rigours of touring the world with Australia.

He was granted that morbid wish during the tour of South Africa at the end of 2011, when a foot injury kept him out for a sustained period.

It was a break, he believes, could have resurrected his career.

“Having my injury and that time away from the game was beneficial for me,” Johnson said.“I could still bowl a decent pace off a short run but mentally I was pretty much gone. I was sort of hoping to get injured at that time just to get away from the game, as bad as it sounds.

“When you’re on tour you just don’t get the chance to work on the things you want to, but it’s been really good to get back, get my strength back, freshen up mentally.”