Mitch Mania in the Ashes: Johnson, Starc and Marsh
Modern cricket is ruled by the Mitchs and Australia are producing them thick and fast. This summer the Aussies have landed on the English shores with three Mitchs in their squad - Johnson, Starc and Marsh.
"Is Mitchell the most favourite first name for babies in Australia?" - A viewer asked Shane Warne during India's tour of Australia. The era of Allans, Michaels and Davids are passe - modern cricket is ruled by the Mitchs and Australia are producing them thick and fast. (Steve Smith can be a One-Man Demolition Squad)
This summer the Aussies have landed on the English shores with three Mitchs in their squad and all three of them are an integral part of the squad and will play key roles if Michael Clarke and Co. want to break their Ashes jinx in England. (Flintoff Predicts England Ashes Victory)
Mitchell Johnson
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We know what he did last summer. (Lehmann's Nous Gives Australia Ashes Edge)
"He bowls to the left...He bowls to the right. That Mitchell Johnson....his bowling is sh**e!" - The Barmy army once welcomed Johnson at the bowling mark with this song. A few seasons later, the Barmy army and the English batsmen were sent into shock mode by Johnson, version 2.0.
Johnson is one of those cricketers who took their time at international cricket. The talent was obvious but the mental aspect had a few question marks. The series of injuries also didn't help the cause.
Come 2013, the left-arm pacer shook off his slumber and redefined himself at the international level. The 'fast medium' tag gave way to 'fast' and after 53 Tests, the Mitch monster unleashed himself on the world of cricket.
The 'tash added to the show and fast bowling was back at its intimidating best. (Injury Forces Ryan Harris to Retire)
Rarely has a single player dominated a Test series like Johnson did - in the last Ashes he was intimidation personified. Whenever he turned on his mark and looked up at the batsmen, the techniques jammed, the feet froze and the zeal gave in.
With 37 wickets, he left permanent scars in the psyche of the English. He took the England team by the scruff of the neck and cracked it open like a can of beans. ('New' England Face Ashes Acid Test)
Over the period of two years though, things have changed. Johnson's form has waned, Ryan Harris - his trusted partner - has hung up his boots and Phil Hughes death has caused a stir in him. By his own admission, he is apprehensive to bowl bouncers that can inflict serious injuries.
Australia have last secured the Ashes in England in 2001. The Hazlewoods and Pattinsons are on the rise and at 33, this could well be Johnson's last Ashes.
Australia would love another ferocious burst from the 'tashed tormentor and Michael Clarke would want him to tighten up his laces, run-in and leave the English with a few "broken f*****g arms".
Mitchell Starc
© AFP
If Johnson is the Sylvester Stallone of fast bowling, Starc is Jean-Claude Van Damme - a touch of finesse but equally lethal. If Johnson rips through your guts, Starc snarls and grows on you to snap you neck from behind.
Arguably, Starc is the best fast bowler in the world along with Trent Boult. With a strong run-in approach and a high-arm action, Starc is a nightmare for any batsman - not only can he swing the ball both ways, he does it at serious heat. Add to that a lethal bouncer.
Starc entered the international scene as one of the promising fast bowlers but with an air of vulnerability wrapped around him. When he got it right, he looked top dollar but when he lost his radar, his waywardness was a gift to the opposition. Among the entire crop of Aussie young pacemen, Starc was the most droppable.
Then, Shane Warne did the trick.
He questioned (quite harshly) Starc's body language during the first Test against India and the switch flicked inside 25-year-old from New South Wales. The pace went up a few knots, the ball swung viciously and a new vocabulary transformed Starc into a different entity.
Come July 8, England will face two Mitchs with the new ball from each end and interestingly this time, Johnson - their destroyer-in-chief - isn't the most dangerous Mitch!
Mitchell Marsh
© AFP
The new Mitch on-the-block is turning heads with his performances with both bat and ball.
Shane Watson has been the long trusted top-order batsman cum all-rounder for Australia but right now, Mitch Marsh is everything that Watson is not - fit, strong and in-form. He is in sizzling touch and an irresistible choice for the management.
"He's a young player, he's extremely talented as we've seen," said Clarke, "He's lost weight, he's fit, he's strong and he's playing some really good cricket."
Forget England, Mitch Marsh has posed a headache for Darren Lehmann, Michael Clarke and Shane Watson with back-to-back hundreds in the warm up games.
After a few eye-catching performances in the T20 format, Marsh got his act together against Pakistan in the UAE where he forced his way into the Test team.
However, he lost his place to the senior Watson in the World Cup and that seemed to have had an effect on him. He has taken his game up by a couple of notches and with his performances in the warm-up games; the lad from Western Australia has put his senior fellow all-rounder under immense pressure.
Australia might still prefer Watson in the first Test but Marsh is clipping at his heels and if he gets a look in at anytime in the series, England might just have a new Mitch monster to deal with.