Darren Lehmann has warned England’s batsmen to expect a rough ride from Mitchell Johnson if they reach next weekend’s Tri-Series final in Perth.
England can qualify with a win against India at the Waca on Friday and Lehmann, Australia’s coach, has indicated that his leading fast bowler is ready to return for Monday’s Australia Day match against India here at the SCG, having missed his team’s first three matches of the Tri-Series.
Johnson proved England’s nemesis during the 2013-14 Ashes whitewash – he took 37 wickets at 13.97 – and has been given time away from cricket to rest and resolve an unspecified personal issue not even his team-mates have been informed about. But he was back in the SCG nets on Saturday evening after Lehmann set up a special session for his key bowler to prove his match readiness.
Asked if he would consider resting Johnson to deny England’s batsmen time in the middle against him before the two teams meet in their opening match of the World Cup in Melbourne on Valentine’s Day, Lehmann said: “No. It’s a final so there’s a trophy up for grabs and we’ve got to try and win. I’m excited to see how he’s bowling.”
Peter Moores, England’s coach, was unperturbed about the prospect of his side coming face to face with Johnson once again on what is regarded as the fastest pitch in world cricket.
“You want to play against the best players,” he said. “If we win on Friday we’ll have a chance to back it up in the final. There’ll be no talk in our dressing room about who we might face. That’s not how it works.”
One player Moores certainly believes has the ability to deal with whatever Johnson or anyone else throws at him over the coming weeks is Eoin Morgan. Moores was impressed with his captain’s handling of the recent apparent blackmail incident and thinks it shows the Irishman has what it takes to succeed at the World Cup.
Morgan, who took over the leadership of England’s one-day side after Alastair Cook’s sacking shortly before Christmas, was at the centre of a bizarre extortion attempt before the Tri-Series match against Australia in Hobart on Friday. It emerged the England & Wales Cricket Board had received a demand for £35,000 from a local man who was threatening to leak “embarrassing” details – including videos – of a relationship Morgan had with an Australian woman five years ago.
The ECB’s handling of the case ensured a quick resolution and Morgan, speaking after England’s three-wicket reverse on Friday, said he is confident it is now over. He also insisted the ordeal had not affected his performance in Hobart, despite the fact he was out for a golden duck.
Asked how his captain had dealt with the episode, Moores said: “He has an ability to handle pressure – getting a hundred in the first game at the SCG showed his ability to deliver when it’s tough. That’s something that will stand him in good stead going forward as a captain because over the next two months there are going to be some tough games.”
When asked to talk more specifically about Morgan’s reaction to the plot, Moores said: “He kept it out of the way of the cricket and away from the lads and moved on. That’s what we want to do at the moment and Eoin got on with it. I think Eoin goes in with his eyes wide open with the England captaincy. It’s a high profile job, it’s a tough job, but also a very rewarding one.”
England, buoyed by their bonus-point win against India in Brisbane last Tuesday, will fancy their chances of qualifying – even if it sets up another match against an Australia team whom they have forgotten how to beat.
“Third time lucky,” Moores said. “We desperately want to get to that final and we’ve got a big game on Friday. If we get there we will feel that if we play at the top of our game it will be a really good contest. Australia are a good side, but so are we and we’re starting to show that.
“We won’t get ahead of ourselves because India are also a very good side and just because we won comfortably in Brisbane doesn’t mean we’re going to get an easy ride here.”
