The real Mitchell Johnson

The "Super Mitchell Johnson" chants, laced with irony at Edgbaston barely a week ago, resurfaced at Headingley on Saturday evening, only this time with an adulatory undertone. Johnson's furious spell of 3 for 1 from 14 deliveries in the final session of the second day was a throwback to his Man-of-the-Series performance in South Africa, which was notable as much for his maiming of Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis as it was his 17 wickets at 25.88.

This was the Johnson Australia had counted on: intimidating when short, swinging when full and all at an unnerving pace and trajectory. Australia's selectors have moved heaven and earth to accommodate their misfiring paceman in this series and, in what will almost certainly be the closing act of the fourt Test, Johnson finally delivered with a spell of venom and control to steamroll England out of the contest. Better late than never.

Johnson finished the second day's play with figures of 3 for 21 from ten frenetic overs, and would have had a fourth wicket had Marcus North not spilled a regulation chance off Matt Prior at third slip. North, who notched his third Test century a session earlier, confirmed after play what all at Headingley knew: the real Mitchell Johnson had stood up.

"England supporters are starting to see the way he bowled in South Africa," North said. "All players have their ups and downs and we know he's had a difficult month, but he showed great signs at Edgbaston. He worked very hard at his game and got the ball swinging late, like in South Africa. It's great to see a guy getting the rewards he deserves."

Johnson's Ashes series has read like a soap opera script to date. Wild at Cardiff and wilder still at Lord's, Australia entered the third Test at Edgbaston aware that one more errant display from their attack spearhead could cost them the series. Aware of his match-winning potential, the Australians resisted the temptation to drop Johnson for the more accurate Stuart Clark, and instead provided him with an insurance bowler in the form of Shane Watson in the event of another blowout.

The move left no room for the equally out-of-sorts Phillip Hughes, but demonstrated just how highly regarded Johnson is among Australian cricket's brainstrust. Through battles with confidence, wrist position and a delicate family situation in Australia, Johnson was embraced rather than ostracised by team-mates, even though his dreadful outing at Lord's went far to costing the tourists the Test and a proud 75-year unbeaten record at the ground.

Edgbaston wasn't the breakthrough the Australians had hoped for, but it was progress. Far straighter than in his previous outings, Johnson bowled with pace and discipline until a final spell during which he was riled by Andrew Flintoff and Stuart Broad and reverted back to a short length.

The improvement continued at Headingley where, thriving on the pressure created by the miserly Clark at the Kirkstall Lane End, Johnson removed Ian Bell on a dominant opening morning for the Australians. But the crucial moment came after tea on Saturday when Johnson, bowling first change, was tossed the ball with England reeling from Ben Hilfenhaus' double-strike that removed Andrew Strauss and, dubiously, Ravi Bopara.

Swing was supposed to have been the undoing of Australia on this tour - both in their mastery of it, and attempts to play it - only for Hilfenhaus and Johnson to completely out-duel James Anderson and Graham Onions. Johnson found in-swing early in his spell, mixing movement with brutish bouncers and genuine pace.

Bell fell to Johnson for the second time in the match to a tentative push outside off stump, and Paul Collingwood promptly followed lbw to a fast, full inswinger. Aerial movement also played a role in the dismissal of Alastair Cook, pushing a fuller offering to Brad Haddin, as Johnson ended any notions of English resistance.

"He's obviously found a bit of form," said Broad. "The ball swinging has helped him with that, and he's picked up wickets. You need a bit of luck as a bowler and he's had a bit of luck. He's also got the ball in the right areas more consistently and caused our batsmen a lot more trouble. We knew he was a world class talent. When he came into the series he had a fantastic record in Test matches. I know the media built him up to be struggling but we knew we had to be very aware of what he can do, and he's proven he can take wickets."

Johnson might have left his run late in the series, but with the Ashes almost certainly headed for a deadlock leading into The Oval, the timing of his return to form could hardly be more astute.