*Official* Second Test at the Adelaide Oval

[Howe_zat]

Originally Posted by Prince EWS

Yeah I definitely agree, but I don't think the selectors will see it that way. The myth is more important.

Well so long as you make all your selections based on myths, the Ashes are sorted.

[Prince EWS]

Originally Posted by Howe_zat

Well so long as you make all your selections based on myths, the Ashes are sorted.

Haha, all selectors do it. It's stupid, but it happens.

[Ausage]

On a scale of 1-Clapo I probably rate about an 8.5 when it comes to Johnson fanboyism, so you can take this with a grain if you wish.

I don't think the guy should be dropped for Adelaide. Put simply, I think he's one of our 4 best bowlers, and has proven so consistently over a large enough sample size. Dropping him because he's been in average (but hardly terrible) form for the last 6 months and just had about the worst game of his career isn't really looking at the bigger picture for mine. Fact is the guy is one of the few players we have that can even semi consistently tear through international standard teams when in form.

He was rubbish in Brisbane, but he was hardly alone. Siddle, Hilf and Doherty didn't take a single wicket in the second dig either, with two of those only getting gifts or a slogging tail in the first innings. The catch and his duck made his game look worse that it was, but lets face it, the guy is hardly there for his batting, and dropped catches happen to the best of them. Ask Clarkey.

If he is to be dropped I hope it's done with a view to getting his head in the right frame of mind for a return in Perth or possibly Melbourne. If his head is the problem then we should be doing what we can to get him right so he can bowl at his best. We shouldn't forget that he's too good to be junked on the scrapheap with the Cullens, Krejzas or McGains of this world.

[Ausage]

Originally Posted by Howe_zat

Well so long as you make all your selections based on myths, the Ashes are sorted.

Runs in all day, has heart. Mmmm sorted

[Pup Clarke]

Rhino to take a hatful if selected imo. Seam movement and swing at consistently 90+ = win

[pasag]

Johnson took no wickets for the match, he really can't keep his place. I'm happy to have him around the squad and to play a role later in the series, but the fact is the poms play him well at the best of times.

[Prince EWS]

Originally Posted by Ausage

On a scale of 1-Clapo

I rate extremely low on the Clapo scale of Johnson Worship - I was one of his biggest detractors early in his Test career and maintained for quite a while that he had just been outrageously lucky. He never, to me, appears to be bowling particularly well. Even given all that though I still agree - he's proven, particularly in Australian conditions, that he can consistently take pretty cheap wickets and break key partnerships. At this stage I'd probably pick him for Adelaide (no Hilfenhaus), although if it came down to a straight choice between him and Dougey (I rate an 8.5 on a scale of 1 to Julian87) I'd take Dougey.

My main concern is that England have really done their homework on him. It's always appeared extremely obvious to me that if you look to leave the majority of Johnson's bowling as a right hander you can just wait for the leg stump trash, but after watching quality batsmen fish outside off against him for years, I just came to the conclusion that it wasn't that simple against express left arm over bowling. If Flower and Strauss have worked this out and developed a method to leave him successfully, it's possible he's been Iversoned. I think he's worth at least one more Test to bounce back though, given his track record.

[Uppercut]

Johnson never even looked like threatening to consider trying to make an effort at attempting to get a wicket. And he wasn't even bowling as badly as we all know he's capable of.

[Spark]

That legside wide was pushing it tbf.

[GotSpin]

Gotta be up there with the worst of his stuff

[robinjr]

Originally Posted by Howe_zat

Fair point. Remember, though, that was was against a broken Harmison, Saj Mahmood, Ashley Giles and Bad Jimmy (TM)

Andrew Flintoff and Mathew Hoggard ?

[Howe_zat]

Originally Posted by robinjr

Andrew Flintoff and Mathew Hoggard ?

Were both okay in that series. Without them it'd have been like net practise for the Aussies.

[social]

Without the batsmen having a complete brain-snap, if the same 2 bowling lineups take the field in Adelaide, then the chances of either taking 20 wickets is somewhere between nil and zero

[Spark]

Hoggard was outstanding at Adelaide. The forgotten man in that test.

[robinjr]

Originally Posted by Howe_zat

Were both okay in that series. Without them it'd have been like net practise for the Aussies.

i'd have those two ahed of all the fastbowlers you have now.