Mitchell Johnson is an Australian former cricketer who was born on November 2, 1981, in Queensland, Australia. Down the order, the left-handed fast bowler bats left-handed. He is Australia’s fourth-highest test wicket-taker and is now retiring from international cricket.
Background
Mitchell, then 17, drew the attention of Dennis Lillee, a retired Australian pacer, at a speed camp. Johnson appeared in England in 1999 after being selected for the Australian U-19 squad, and he did well in the 2000 ICC U-19 World Cup.
In November 2001, he made his first-class debut for Queensland against visiting New Zealand and took three wickets. After losing his contract with Queensland due to back injuries, he worked his way back into the squad in the 2004-2005 season before being picked for Australia A’s 2005 tour of Pakistan.
Debut
In his ODI debut against New Zealand in Christchurch in December 2005, Johnson went wicketless, conceding 64 runs in 9 overs. In his first six ODIs, he struggled before he used brute speed to ruin India’s star-studded bowling, scalping four wickets for 11 runs in the DLF Cup in Kuala Lumpur in 2006.
In his T20I debut against Zimbabwe in September 2007, the left-arm pacer took one wicket.
Johnson eventually claimed the baggy green against Sri Lanka at Gabba two months back, taking four wickets in his debut test.
Rise to Glory
Johnson held his ruthless form for the Proteas in the back-to-back home-and-away series, taking 33 wickets in six tests. He took 11 wickets in the 2008 Boxing Day Test in Perth, including a remarkable seven wickets for 12 runs.
Johnson demonstrated all-round talent when visiting South Africa in February 2009, scoring his first test tonne (123*) and another 96 not out in the third test at Cape Town.
In the 2013-14 Ashes, Johnson terrorised England with his threatening pace and bouncers, taking 37 wickets at an average of 13.97. Johnson’s form rolled over to South Africa in 2014, where he took 22 wickets in three tests.
Mitchell Johnson was pivotal in Australia’s 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup victory, providing timely breakthroughs in the semi-final (2/50) and final (3/30).
Low Points
Johnson has a problem with inconsistency. In England, he had a catastrophic Ashes campaign in 2009. Johnson, in particular, conceded 132 runs at 6.09 RPO in the first innings of the second test.
Johnson was dropped in the second Ashes test in 2010 at Gabba due to his lack of success in the first test. Johnson’s back and toe injuries hampered him at key points in his career.
Club Career
Until moving to Western Australia, Johnson played 20 first-class matches with Queensland Bull from 2001 to 2007. He played his first four seasons in the Big Bash League with the Brisbane Heats before joining the Perth Scorchers in 2016.
He played for Kings XI Punjab in the Indian Premier League. He then joined the Mumbai Indians, where he won three titles.
In the 2018 IPL auction, he was selected by Kolkata Knight Riders.
Retirement
Johnson retired from ODI cricket after winning the 2015 World Cup, having taken 239 wickets in 153 games, and his last T20I match was against England in August 2013.
He retired from all forms of international cricket in November 2015, having taken three wickets in his final test match against New Zealand at WACA, for a total of 313 scalps in 73 tests.
He is now playing in the BBL for the Perth Scorchers and plans to compete in the IPL and the Caribbean T20 league after retiring.