He is a class bowler: Coach Darren Lehmann defends Mitchell Johnson
Paceman Mitchell Johnson is still a class act despite a poor first Test with the ball but Australia know he will not get the fast pitches he thrives on in the rest of the Ashes series, coach Darren Lehmann said.
Johnson was outbowled by fellow quicks Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood in Cardiff as England dominated the first Test to win by 169 runs with a day to spare on Saturday.
Starc took seven wickets and Hazlewood five in a chastening defeat for Australia while Johnson, England’s tormentor Down Under in 2013-14 with 37 victims, went wicketless in the first innings and took two for 69 in the second.
“I think he got better as the game went on. He was better in the second innings. The way he got (Ian) Bell out was quite exciting for us,” Lehmann told reporters.
“At end of the day he’s a class bowler and if he gets it right then he certainly can run through sides.”
Australia have to quickly regroup with the second Test starting at Lord’s on Thursday and while Lehmann thinks the pitch at the home of cricket will offer more pace he is not optimistic.
“Everyone talks about we’d love a bit more pace… yes that would be true but we’re not going to get it,” he said.
“I’d just like to see you be able to bowl a bouncer on day one — that would be nice.”
Unable to call on the recently retired Ryan Harris and with Starc battling to be fit from an ankle injury that hindered him in Cardiff, Australia will hope Johnson can find his rhythm although Lehmann remained unconcerned.
“Patrick Cummins has joined us and he is ready to go. Peter Siddle has played a lot of Test match cricket. We’ve got enough armoury to take 20 wickets.”
Apart from Starc, Australia’s main concern centres around the form of under-fire all rounder Shane Watson who scored 30 and 19 and could be replaced by 23-year-old Mitchell Marsh at Lord’s.
Watson’s vulnerability to lbw was exposed in both innings and Lehmann said: “He’d be disappointed with that and so are we.
“You don’t want to be getting out lbw all the time and you want to make more runs… but he’s doing everything he possibly can to rectify that.”
Asked if Marsh was unlucky to miss out in Cardiff, he added: “(He was) very close to selection. “It’s going to be a tight call leading into the second Test.”
