You don't have to be Einstein to work out that England need their own version of Johnson, and fast.

[vvvslaxman]

You don't have to be Einstein to work out that England need their own version of Johnson, and fast... so why can't tyro Tymal be the answer? By MARTIN SAMUEL PUBLISHED: 01:41 EST, 9 December 2013 | UPDATED: 15:52 EST, 9 De You don’t have to be Einstein to work out our plans, said Australia’s coach, Darren Lehmann. Indeed. One guy, bowling very fast, and often short. E=MC squared it isn’t. More like two plus two makes four. Yet as England limp towards Perth and another barrage from Mitchell Johnson, it is the basic mathematics that is failing them. What doesn’t add up is the way English cricket continues to underestimate the worth of genuine fast bowling. Tymal Mills of Essex has made the journey south to give England’s batsmen a taste of pace in the nets. At the WACA, arguably the fastest Test pitch on the planet, however, he will be a spectator. Mills, a 21-year-old from the England Performance Programme is fast in any company, regularly above 90 mph, and up there with Johnson. At Essex, though, he barely gets a game. The county prefer David Masters, a fast-medium bowler of greater accuracy who has taken five wickets in an innings on 28 occasions. And in most Test series that doesn’t matter because fast bowling is a dying art and the opposition won’t be utilising much of it either. Yet every now and then a bowler comes along who reminds what this sport is in its essence. Brutal, intimidating, attritional. And that bowler is Johnson. And England have no-one like him. So right now, they are having to suck it up. There were instances in Adelaide when Australia were almost swaggering in the field like a street gang, whooping and hollering and pushing the English batsmen around and there was nothing – nothing – that could be done. A picture of Alastair Cook’s bruised bicep after a net in Holbart showed what Mills could have brought to this attack – but he is so undercooked as a match bowler his selection would be almost surreal. He's a bruiser: England captain Alastair Cook shows the damage Mills inflicted on his arm in the nets Meanwhile, Peter Siddle, who is not a fast bowler, :giggle: has been peppering England’s tail end and in particular Monty Panesar with short deliveries. Why? Because he can. Australia’s bowlers – as collectively impressive as they have been in this series – can hide behind Johnson as the biggest bully in the playground. England have nobody of his ilk. When Siddle struck James Anderson a severe blow on his upper flank as England’s resistance sank below the waves on Monday, he did so safe in the knowledge that there would be no return of fire. Anderson is quick – Johnson is rapid. In cricket terms, there’s a difference. It’s the reason that you see so little showboating in the super-heavyweight boxing division. Nobody can afford to drop their hands in mockery if an opponent is one punch away from turning the lights out; and as Buster Douglas famously proved against Mike Tyson even the most mediocre big men usually have that big hit in the locker. It is what England are missing here and now. Spin and seam have served them well in the past but what is required in Perth is a bowler to keep the Australians honest. Mills might have been that man, with the right encouragement; yet the pedestrian ambitions of the county game have limited his opportunity and worth. He is a practice bowler, a Johnson replica and no more, on this tour. To throw him in at Perth would be a decision so radical and left-field it might as well come with a red light, sirens and a panic warning. Mills has only bowled in 29 first-class innings and has taken just 32 wickets. He has a reputation for waywardness, but that can be balanced against his relative inexperience. He only started playing cricket at 14 but was an Essex first-team player by the age of 19. A natural, then. And what naturals need is time in the middle to find their range and correct their aim – except English cricket seems to regard fast bowling with suspicion, preferring the discipline of line and length. Many years ago, on a train journey from Manchester to London, I sat with Clive Lloyd, the great West Indies captain. He said that back home, they let the kids bowl fast and only began to coach them later in their development. He thought English cricket took the speed out of their prodigies. 'If a player can’t bowl straight, you can make him bowl straight,' he said, big bass voice booming around the carriage. 'If he can’t bowl fast, there is nothing you can do.' And England can’t bowl fast. The frisson of excitement that followed the announcement that the ICC were looking at a physical clash between Johnson and Ben Stokes late on day four revealed the difference in the camps. By the letter of the law, both players could have been banned for Perth if found guilty. Stokes was England’s fastest bowler in Adelaide just as Johnson was Australia’s. Yet the expanse between the two men could be felt in English readiness to sacrifice Stokes if he could take Johnson down, too. Stokes is another quick bowler. He isn’t scaring batsmen like Johnson on this tour. In the end, the ICC declared neither had a case to answer. In the red zone: Our Hawk-Eye graphic shows that the majority of Johnson's deliveries are 90mph-plus 'When a bowler is bowling 150 km/h it’s not easy,' Lehmann said. 'When I was playing, 150k would get me out every time. I wasn’t very courageous. The simple fact of life is that it’s tough work facing fast bowling. 'Mitchell Johnson is impressive, he’s confident and our challenge is to keep him going, while bowling that way, because it’s hard to prepare for someone like that. Yes, it’s tough out there – but that’s the game of cricket. It’s exciting to see bowlers bowl fast – it’s a challenge and batsmen have to adapt their technique to make a score and succeed.' England have singularly failed in this discipline in Brisbane and Adelaide. Half of their 40 dismissals have been catches on the leg-side, a flaw that suggests they are taking Australia’s bowlers on, but not in a way that is rational or productive. Perhaps they think this shows bravery – but when balls are flying at chin height it requires considerably more mettle to dig in and stay the course than disappear with one vainglorious swipe. Brainless: Stuart Broad is caught hooking in the first over of the day Vainglorious swipe: Stuart Broad tried to counter the short ball by hooking but was caught in the deep Stuart Broad was the latest to fall this way, soon after England’s doomed mission began on Monday morning, and while Australia insist opposition shot selection is none of their business, they will also know that every reckless slog gives a little insight into a troubled English mindset. And what is troubling them? Pace. Nothing more. Johnson is not swinging the ball wildly and was ineffectual in the second innings in Adelaide but it did not matter because the damage was done with seven wickets first time out, when England’s batsmen froze in his sights. 'Having that intimidation factor is definitely a bonus,' Johnson said. 'In the past it probably wasn’t quite there for me in the last couple of Ashes series, so to be able to come out and just back my ability is really enjoyable.' It is almost certainly too late for England from here, but if lessons are to be learned, the stranding of Mills as a net bowler suggests backing ability is one place to start. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricket/article-2520584/The-Ashes-2013-14-You-dont-Einstein-work-England-need-answer-Mitchell-Johnson--fast--Martin-Samuel.html#ixzz2n1bGe6sT

[vvvslaxman]

This joker hates the guts of Aussies. Read it for fun :hysterical:

[MCcricket]

How I wonder , hope Dhoni starts understanding this and support, Umesh, Aaron, Shami and bowlers with pace and stop relying on trundlers which is a choice only loosers wanna make, yes there is a place for 135 to 140 bowlers with skills but cannot have a lineup of three 130 to 140 bowlers like England and India and that is a recipe for failure.

[gattaca]

How I wonder ' date=' hope Dhoni starts understanding this and support, Umesh, Aaron, Shami and bowlers with pace and stop relying on trundlers which is a choice only loosers wanna make, yes there is a place for 135 to 140 bowlers with skills but cannot have a lineup of three 130 to 140 bowlers like England and India and that is a recipe for failure.[/quote'] Dhoni for his good has played many matches in India and he doesn't know if fast bowlers exists or pretends to do so.

[MCcricket]

More then any player on the field a champion batter, an all rounder, a fast bowler who can bowl aggressively is an enforcer and is invaluable, a single 5 fer can change a game then a century by a batter

[vvvslaxman]

So right now, they are having to suck it up. There were instances in Adelaide when Australia were almost swaggering in the field like a street gang, - :hysterical:

[rkt.india]

Tymal mills is certainly fast and quick of the pitch too. I have seen him bowl in 88-92 mph range consistently and he is just 21.

[rkt.india]

Tymal Mills is of West Indian origin.

[saneindian]

Important thing is Essex do not prefer to give Mills games but instead prefer Davis Masters. Perhaps the English coaches are also inspired by Dhoni and BCCI :P As for Mills, in the last English season had followed a match on Essex website where he bowled. He's a total scatter gun and bowled a couple of deliveries at 90 mph settling mostly at around 85-86 mph and looked innocuous. Too raw right now. Wonder whatever happened to Finn who was bowling 90 mph+ regularly not too long ago.

[rkt.india]

English conditions favor accurate swing bowling and old and experienced Masters does the job for them.

[rkt.india]

Finn is a rhythm bowler like Ishant. Will never be consistently quick. Doesn't have the action to do that.

[rkt.india]

Tymal Mills innocuous? Ask Moises Henriques. No bowler bowls at his quickest all the time in FC cricket.

[Raghav_12]

Important thing is Essex do not prefer to give Mills games but instead prefer Davis Masters. Perhaps the English coaches are also inspired by Dhoni and BCCI :P As for Mills, in the last English season had followed a match on Essex website where he bowled. He's a total scatter gun and bowled a couple of deliveries at 90 mph settling mostly at around 85-86 mph and looked innocuous. Too raw right now. Wonder whatever happened to Finn who was bowling 90 mph+ regularly not too long ago.

Dhoni and his ilk is spreading fast across the world. Soon they would get express and short bowling outlawed :-)

[Tiger80]

Send him to IPL and when he will start hitting 150 , we will give it back to you