Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

'Aussies are not wary of Johnson's form'

July 28, 2009 14:10 IST

Struggling Mitchell Johnson has found much needed support from teammate and stumper Brad Haddin, who reckons that the Australian paceman was still making an impact in their Ashes defence.

The left-arm quick has invited wrath of both media and fans with his patchy bowling, which makes him a doubtful starter for the third Test, beginning Thursday at Edgbaston.

However Haddin, the stumper batsman, strongly feels that nothing was wrong with Johnson bowling.

"As much as has been written about him not performing, he's still taking a lot of wickets. And he bowled great in the tour game. I don't think it's too much of a concern," Haddin said.

Johnson has taken eight wickets in two Test at the cost of 331 runs and could get only one wicket in the warm-up match against Northamptonshire after conceding 107 runs off 18.1 overs.

Haddin said the visitors were not really worried about Johnson's so called lean patch.

"We're not trying to help him out of anything, his form is not as big a concern as everyone is making it out to be. He's still taking wickets and he's been no different really.

He's been the same around the group as he was in South Africa and in Australia, it's no different," he was quoted as saying by the Independent.

© Copyright 2024 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.