Mitch Marsh helped Mitchell Johnson bowl quicker, says Craig McDermott

Ashes 2015: Mitch Marsh helped Mitchell Johnson bowl quicker, says Craig McDermott
FOX SPORTS July 24, 2015 10:40AM
   

AUSTRALIA has one man to thank for the revitalised performance of Mitchell Johnson at Lord’s – and it’s probably not who you think it is.

Johnson bounced back from a frustrating start to the Ashes series in emphatic style last week, taking three wickets in each innings of the second Test to help Australia record a thumping victory over England.

The left-armer was back to his intimidating best, overcoming the unhelpful pitch conditions to send down some brutal deliveries, most notably the steepling bouncer that saw Moeen Ali pop up an easy catch to short leg in the second dig.

Johnson was deservedly given plenty of praise in the aftermath for maintaining the rage after a difficult outing in Cardiff, but now Australia’s bowling coach Craig McDermott has revealed one of Johnson’s colleagues deserves some of the credit.


Mitchell Johnson looked back to his best at Lord’s
McDermott believes the inclusion of all-rounder Mitch Marsh, at the expense of veteran Shane Watson, allowed Johnson the freedom to go for broke during shorter, faster bowling spells.

“Mitchell Marsh’s hard work over the last four months or so is really starting to pay off and going to strengthen us,” McDermott told ESPNCricinfo.

“If you’ve got an all-rounder who’s capable of bowling 140kph it certainly makes your bowling attack quite different.

“And the better he bowls the more he will be capable of doing in an innings, from eight to ten overs to 12-15, and that allows the other blokes like a Mitchell Johnson to bowl three or four over spells and just be on the money, bowling fast all the time.

“It changes Pup’s dynamics quite a lot as a captain.”

'We played the perfect Test'
Marsh’s hard-hitting batting caught the eye last week, and did the same on Thursday night during Australia’s tour match against Derbyshire in which he smashed a quickfire 53.

However it’s with the ball that he made the greatest impact against England at Lord’s, picking up the crucial wickets of Alastair Cook and Ben Stokes in the first innings, and Gary Ballance in the second.

Before the big call was made to drop Watson in favour of Marsh, Australia coach Darren Lehmann spoke of the importance of the all-rounder in the overall make-up of the bowling attack.

Mitch Marsh picked up three crucial wickets in the second Ashes Test.

“We need Watto bowling … so that’s going to be a key for us as well,” Lehmann said earlier this month.

“Mitchell Marsh’s form with the bat in particular has been very impressive but more than anything they’re going to need someone to bowl those overs as that fourth bowler.”

The line trotted out so often over the past decade whenever the inclusion of Watson in the Test side was questioned was that he brings a great “balance” to the team.

But with Marsh appearing to fulfil that role and produce surprising benefits on the side, the veteran all-rounder might find it more difficult to force his way back into the side than he first imagined.

SO basically he was eased off his pressures while having marsh by his side ??
Every other bowler will be
More thing,is watson never really gonna come back ??
I have loved the way he swings his bat and was accurate enough in bowling,but lately his forms has dwindled...Damn