It really blows my mind

[stephen]

Cricinfo Statsguru - MG Johnson - Test matches - All-round analysis

The stats for Mitchell Johnson this summer have been exceptional. Averaging 21 with the ball and 46 with the bat.

And yet Miller was this good all the time. Many other quicks have averaged low 20s with the ball, but I keep forgetting just how good that actually is and how hard it is to do. We truly were blessed with some of the best quick bowling ever in the 80s and 90s weren't we?

 

[rivera213]

Cricinfo Statsguru - MG Johnson - Test matches - All-round analysis

The stats for Mitchell Johnson this summer have been exceptional. Averaging 21 with the ball and 46 with the bat.

And yet Miller was this good all the time. Many other quicks have averaged low 20s with the ball, but I keep forgetting just how good that actually is and how hard it is to do. We truly were blessed with some of the best quick bowling ever in the 80s and 90s weren't we?

Well Miller isn't considered 1 of the 5 best allrounders ever for nothing. Ha ha.

Though, you have to be careful when judging players from different eras. The wickets back in the day were much more bowler friendly (Mitchell Johnson's average is really the equivalent of 16 in Miller's day IMO just like someone averaging 45 with the bat nowadays is equivalent to 40 back in the day).

Still, had Miller been around in the 80's he'd be much more of an icon of cricket I suspect. Posters on the wall of Aussie cricket fans etc.

 

[Richard]

Many other quicks have averaged low 20s with the ball

Well... not really. Only Marshall, Ambrose, Hadlee, McGrath, Garner, Imran Khan, Trueman, Donald, Holding, Lindwall, Wasim Akram, Lillee, Miller and Johnston did it over a lengthy and near-full career.

Davidson, Adcock and Bishop also managed it over a briefer but still (in my view) acceptably lengthy time.

Bedser, Hall, Botham, Pollock (S) and Waqar Younis also did over approximately half their careers, but still easily long enough to be of acceptable "plateau" (rather than "peak") length.

OK, that's 21 bowlers, but given the number who've tried their hand at bowling seam down the years, I'd not quite define that as "many".

 

[oitoitoi]

Well, let's see if he can keep it up. Still not convinced that he'll swing it everywhere. Also think that teams are bound to get some decent plans against him pretty soon. Fantastic performance over that period though nonetheless. I hope Australia leave him as a bowler who can bat rather than trying to push him up the order and turn him into a genuine allrounder, got a feeling that would end in tears.

 

[Noble One]

Well, let's see if he can keep it up. Still not convinced that he'll swing it everywhere. Also think that teams are bound to get some decent plans against him pretty soon. Fantastic performance over that period though nonetheless. I hope Australia leave him as a bowler who can bat rather than trying to push him up the order and turn him into a genuine allrounder, got a feeling that would end in tears.

Until batsman learn to play his natural angle, Johnson will continue to pick up good hauls of wickets. When he is swinging the ball, Johnson is a greater threat, but he rarely picks up more than 1 or 2 wickets in an innings from the swinging ball.

Johnson has proved that he doesn't always need swing to take wickets. The key to Johnson's continued success is to stay consistant with his pace. Underestimated stamina to bowl 7 or 8 overs all at above 140-145 kmh. Then to continue this pace in later spells, intense pressure on the batsman.

With the bat he will always remain the type of hit and miss style he plays. His average over the past two years reflects his performances with the bat, but perhaps not his skill level. Is just like any normal tail-ender at times, missing straight balls pitched on the stumps. Never will be good enough as a true batsman, keep him at number 8.

 

[stephen]

I tend to believe that his batting average will end up around 34/35 and his bowling average around or just under 25, depending on how long he plays. Still, his performance this summer is worth remembering as one of the best bowling performances ever. His 8fer on a lifeless WACA wicket was superb.

 

[oitoitoi]

The key to Johnson's continued success is to stay consistant with his pace. Underestimated stamina to bowl 7 or 8 overs all at above 140-145 kmh. Then to continue this pace in later spells, intense pressure on the batsman.

Definitely, he's just relentless with the ball at very good pace. I'm amazed he hasn't gotten injured since the start of the India tour, his back must be a mess by now. You're correct about having to play his natural angle, it's why frankly when he doesn't swing the ball he doesn't look too impressive, but still takes bags of wickets. I always thought for a right hander moving to a leg stump guard and opening up your stance would help massively against him, lets you leave him more easily and to look to defend him to cover/point rather than straight back.

 

[stephen]

Definitely, he's just relentless with the ball at very good pace. I'm amazed he hasn't gotten injured since the start of the India tour, his back must be a mess by now. You're correct about having to play his natural angle, it's why frankly when he doesn't swing the ball he doesn't look too impressive, but still takes bags of wickets. I always thought for a right hander moving to a leg stump guard and opening up your stance would help massively against him, lets you leave him more easily and to look to defend him to cover/point rather than straight back.

Yeah but if he can move the ball in at all it then becomes a game of when you get out rather than if you get out. I was very encouraged by some of the signs of movement I saw from him in South Africa.

 

[oitoitoi]

Yeah but if he can move the ball in at all it then becomes a game of when you get out rather than if you get out. I was very encouraged by some of the signs of movement I saw from him in South Africa.

True, but he didn't swing it that consistently in SA, and if you can't do it there then you're going to really struggle to swing it elsewhere. I remember Sreesanth bending round corners in SA, never seen him get anything like that swing anywhere else, not even in England. I look at Johnson as a strike bowler with incredible stamina, sort of like Ntini 3, 4 years ago, allows him to bowl longer spells like a stock bowler. Great type of bowler to have in your side. Needs to learn how to bowl in really flat conditions to step up to the next level, I'd like to see him really develop his yorker (could be deadly to the right handers) and learn how to use the old ball perhaps bit better.

 

[Pheobe]

Johnson is unlikely to last more than 3 seasons with the current workload. Lee manfully toiled for almost 2 years, was made to work like an ox by Ponting, and broke down. Johnson looks set for the same route, unless he is rested intelligently in ODIs and T20s.

 

[oitoitoi]

Johnson is unlikely to last more than 3 seasons with the current workload. Lee manfully toiled for almost 2 years, was made to work like an ox by Ponting, and broke down. Johnson looks set for the same route, unless he is rested intelligently in ODIs and T20s.

AWTA, his action puts a huge load on his back and shoulder, shocked he isn't already injured, it's only a matter of time no matter how strong you are. However with Siddle improving and the availability of Clark he might be ok. Australia's test stuff isn't too strenuous over the next couple of years I think. The Ashes will be tough on him, but I can't see him having the workload he has had over the last 9 months or so.