The cruise missile

Australia have taken the wraps off their new secret weapon, Queensland left armer Mitchell Johnson who tore the heart out of England’s batting at the crucial game of the Champions Trophy ahead of the more important Ashes series beginning next month.

Johnson who has been waiting in the wings over the past two seasons for an opportunity to unleash his thunderbolts at world batsmen has already proved that Australia’s rich stocks of fast bowling arsenal has yet another champion to follow the illustrious fast bowling legends such as Glen McGrath and Jason Gillespie when the curtain comes down on their colourful careers.

Already dubbed the “cruise missile” by the Australian media, the 24 year old Johnson was being secretly groomed for the Ashes return with their arch enemy as Australia appear to be planning an all out pace barrage against the Englishmen on the comparatively quick and bouncy conditions as a retaliation for the treatment they received in England last year.

In fact experts predict that this Ashes series will most likely parallel the infamous bodyline series in the 60’s? with hot pace and unrelenting aggression bound to feature as the Aussies in particular proudly defend their honour on home soil.

To lose at home to the Englishmen is unthinkable so no stone has been left unturned as Ricky Ponting and his troops marshal all their available talent to give the Poms a hiding.

Both teams have an abundance of fast bowling arsenal so a bouncer war is definitely on the cards. Australia are smarting from the barrage of intimidation they received from England’s four pronged attack led by Steve Harmison and Andrew Flintoff and look to pay them back in kind this time round. Harmison in particular was venomous with the ball accounting for Justin Langer, Matthew Hayden and skipper Ricky Ponting all sustaining injuries by his well directed missiles.

Johnson was in fact lucky to be included in the Australian line up to Malaysia coming in at the expense of injured swing bowler Stuart Clarke who was forced to pull out with a thigh strain. Injuries to Michael Kasprowicz followed by the overlooking of Jason Gillespie, gave him the look in he needed to prove to the selectors that their faith in his ability was amply justified.

Johnson has the distinction of grabbing the invaluable scalps of the world’s best batsmen during his short stint already claiming Indian maestro Sachin Tendulkar and West Indian legend Brian Lara in Malaysia and then softening up England’s Kevin Pietersen with a vicious bouncer before claiming his wicket off the very next ball with one that left him to be caught behind at the Champions Trophy in India And the way he is currently progressing, he will be the next Brett Lee or even better with his great control and variation at speeds reaching near the 150km mark.

He was spotted a few years ago by former selector Allan Border who predicted at the time that he was a star in the making. Border has always had the uncanny knack of picking a potential champion and this was certainly no exception. Johnson soon found himself under the expert tutelage of fast bowling legend Dennis Lillee as he continued to develop as a champion of the future. In fact Lillee was quoted as saying that Johnson is a once in a generation bowler. These are huge wraps especially coming from one of the best bowlers of all time.

He rush towards glory was stopped short however, when the fast bowlers curse of stress fractures to his back slowed his progress as a teenager. He has had to go through a slow recovery process and appears to have overcome the setback and is now rearing to go. Australia’s new excitement machine adds a vital back up to the swing of Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee and Nathan Bracken and his ability to reach express speeds spells a very uncomfortable tour for the Englishmen.

Even Australian skipper Ponting was excited by what he saw in Malaysia and India clearly indicating there will be a push to get him into Australia’s starting line up for the first Test in a clear indication of his team’s ambition to terrorise the England batsmen.

Johnson’s inclusion may be the beginning of another era of Australian pacemen as the likes of McGrath, Gillespie and Kasprowicz fade away from wonderful and memorable careers.