To see this marauding Aussie thundering into bowl was a great spectacle. Simply put, Mitchell Johnson will be missed.
The physicality of his bowling was hard to miss. When he bounded in with his muscular frame moving forward in cohesion, his moustachioed visage lending him a menacing look, his eyes focussed on the target, Mitchell Johnson could leave even the well protected modern-day batsman terrified.
In his pomp, such as during the Ashes series Down Under in 2013-14, Johnson was a mean and ruthless machine. A head-hunter who could run through line-ups and alter course of matches in a matter of a few hostile overs, dent egos and break limbs.
It was hard work though. Each time a fast bowler lands on his back foot and transfers weight on to front foot, a force measuring eight to 10 times his body weight passes through joints below his waist.
The end result was often devastating for the opposition and rewarding for Johnson.
The manner in which he intimidated batsmen with pace and lift evoked memories of Jeff Thomson in his prime. Interestingly, Thomson’s pace partner, the legendary Dennis Lillee, played a major role in the rise of Johnson.
Growing up in Queensland, Johnson idolised Lillee. It was Lillee who spotted the spark in a young Johnson.
And Lillee worked on Johnson at home and in the Chennai-based MRF Pace Foundation. Johnson learnt the nuances of pace bowling from the old master. The art of not just bowling well, but picking up wickets is a precious one.
This story is from the December 5, 2015 edition of Sportstar.
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This story is from the December 5, 2015 edition of Sportstar.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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