Players performing above their usual level

[Furball]

He was better at Centurion tbh. Most brutal spell of bowling I've ever seen. That ball to Faf was pure pace bowling porn.

Faf is a spud.

 

[Furball]

I still have no idea how that ball to Cook didn't send the stumps all over the place. Did the groundsman plant them in the ground or something?

 

[smash84]

I still have no idea how that ball to Cook didn't send the stumps all over the place. Did the groundsman plant them in the ground or something?

No, he planted them in space.

 

[honestbharani]

I still have no idea how that ball to Cook didn't send the stumps all over the place. Did the groundsman plant them in the ground or something?

Sounds like something was done about it..

 

[vic_orthdox]

Blokes who have played with and against him. Like two Coke cans end to end. Jack Mac says even The One True AB, who saw no less a specimen than Garner, reckons Krezja's has him covered.

You an inner west boy, mate?

Nah, Steve Waugh.

 

[vic_orthdox]

You can't play fast bowling like Johnson produced in that spell vs SA or in that Ashes series. Not actually possible to, unless you're Viv Richards circa 1980 or Ricky Ponting circa early-mid 2000s.

Some of those wickets in the SA spell were more just things falling into place. It was fascinating to watch, but wasn't the awe-inspiring stuff of 13/14 IMO.

EDIT: actually the spell over in South Africa was more like that, where he blasted a few wickets and injured a few guys.

 

[Shri]

Wasn't it more about him finding swing in addition to his usual qualities? Like even he didn't know how he was doing it.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Wasn't it more about him finding swing in addition to his usual qualities? Like even he didn't know how he was doing it.

In South Africa, yeah, and his WACA exploits against England in 2010/11. Not so much in the Ashes 2013/14 series.

 

[Shri]

In South Africa, yeah, and his WACA exploits against England in 2010/11. Not so much in the Ashes 2013/14 series.

I meant RSA too.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Nah, no real swing there, assuming you mean the 8/60-odd.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MLVazQ7IDk

 

[OverratedSanity]

Yep I distinctly remember one bouncer where he calmly moved across the crease, went up on his toes and tapped the ball down. He diffused a 145k+ ball like it was bowled at 125.

There was a glorious 4-5 over spell in the middle of Johnson's crazy spell at Centurion where AB was creaming Johnson for boundaries at will and swivel pulled a 145kph bouncer for six over square leg, while anyone else who faced him in that same spell looked scared ****less.