'Boy did he give those England batsmen a mighty fright'

Terrified to transfixed, the Mitch effect

Reader: electric_loco_WAP4
He bowled to the left, he bowled to the right, but when he did get it right, boy did he give those Eng batsmen a mighty fright! As did batsmen all over the world feel the power of his might! Oh,what a fantastic sight it was, watching Mitch Johnson in full flight!

Reader:hatsforbats
When you read comments written by some of his contemporaries like KP, or Robin Peterson, you truly appreciate what a visceral threat Johnson posed when in full flight. An awesome athlete who, at his best, would make any world XI from any era, that's how I see Johnson. Many would disagree, but how many cricketers have enjoyed his same talents? Wicked late swing or the most accurate of bouncers bowled at 155kph, and the capacity to clear the longest boundary at will with the bat. Simply awe-inspiring. It's disappointing his career has not been easier, as a gentle hearted man he deserved it; the Barmy Army episode has certainly changed my feelings toward them, as I now see their antics for what they are, simple minded bullying. Equally disappointing is the lack of assistance our home pitches have offered our bowlers in recent years, with corporate pitches being rolled out ad nauseum. But Mitch can retire as an Australian great, with a loving family by his side. Thanks Mitch.

Johnson retires from international cricket

Reader: johnthekiwi

Thanks for all the memories Mitch. When you were bad you were shocking but when you were good you were an absolute force of nature. There is something quite elemental, even visceral about watching explosive strength in big time sports. Adrian Peterson plowing through linebackers, Giancarlo Stanton hitting a 550 foot home run, Adolis Chapman throwing a 105 mph fastball by a hapless hitter, Viv Richards smashing a ball that crosses the rope before the end of the follow through and Mitch Johnson getting venomous bounce at 150 plus kph from just short of a length. Good luck to you going forward. If there is a legacy that perhaps younger players gravitate towards I hope it is the immense willpower and mental toughness it took for you to overcome injuries and setbacks that would have broken a lesser man. Most millennials think adversity is not enough places to charge a phone or a surly barista.

Reader: CustomKid

Well done Mitch - all the very best in retirement. You've provided me personally with some of my favourite test highlights over the last 30 years. Your series in South Africa in 2009 was simply brutal. I think SA were 3/2 with two retired hurt, Biff a broken hand and Kalis a split chin in the second test. It was the most amazing assault to witness and I can only guess that was a little insight in to how the mighty Windies destroyed batting lineups of the 70's and 80's.

I had the pleasure of watching you destroy England @ Adelaide oval (my home test) in the last Ashes down under in 2013/14 again seeing the batsmen genuinely scared was just something to behold.

While you had your critics, you should be proud of your achievements and I'm sure there are a few batsmen that will rest easy now you've hung up the boots. Enjoy your retirement you have been a pleasure to watch and I'll never forget those destructive spells you hurled down.

Five touches of Mitchcraft

Reader: Sauron_Of_Middle_Earth

The last performance against SA will define his career for me. The best batsman in the world against the most fearsome bowler in the world - THAT was a contest. It brought out the best in both of them - ABD had to dig deep to score any runs at all. I remember him getting whacked on his arm and whacking a six off the next. Johnson, on the other hand realized he was not fast enough for AB and had to fox him with a slower one - Boy, what a contest! Its moments like these that define a sport. Fascinating, even as a neutral.

Why I didn't watch the All-Stars

Reader: ARad

Samir, this is a very good write up that reflects my sentiments about this series. I doubt that there would be much incentive for any other team besides India or Pakistan to stage a series in the US. Both teams have enough expats in the US for a financially viable series but the time difference would create an issue for the South Asian TV audiences.

Here is a suggestion for Warne and Tendulkar if they want to continue this venture and truly promote Cricket in the USA. Combine the Masters with an international series (such as SA versus Australia) and make it a double-header. People can come to watch the Masters first and then stay on to watch Steyn, De Villers, Starc and Smith, for example. That would be a win-win for all. Also, the night time in the US would be afternoon-evening in Australia so the boards will not lose their TV revenues.

Bluey is indomitable

Reader: JimP2
I never did seem him play a first class match because I left for university in 1970, the same year he made his debut for Yorkshire and then left England a few years later. But I was the scorer for Bradford when they were playing Undercliffe in the Bradford League on the day after it was announced he had been selected to make his Yorkshire debut. He came to the wicket to large applause and promptly hit a large score. I forget what it was after all these years, but it seems like it was quick 60-odd. He was a character even then, at 18 year old, and definitely a star in the Bradford League.

The beast from Pretoria

Reader: Ramen Saha

Here Mr. Kimber: Here is a personal story for you. The internet connection at my home has been patchy for the past few days (who knows why). Once I spotted your article and that beast of a title with the photo of the beast underneath on the Cricinfo homepage, I have driven down to my office on a weekend... just to read your article. And here Mr. Kimber: Here is another little story for you... this guy, AB, cried after losing the NZ in the last world cup. And I, 40 year old man, cried with him. Felt good. To be a human in the company of another human being designed by fate and all to be a superhero. It is the raw unadulterated human-ness - tears or 'I work in sports' - that makes AB special. You too.

Reader: OldGrey

I am a sports fanatic. Until 2010 Secretariat was my idol. Perfection. Even more than Muhammad Ali, Magic Johnson, Roger Federer, Babe Ruth, Don Bradman, Tiger Woods. Then I saw ABD bat and field. I had a new idol, but couldn't quite articulate why. Your piece, Mr Kimber came closer to defining the reasons in prose, research and analogies that nobody else has done- Ed Smith came close - and I salute you for a brilliantly conceived Essay that does both you and AB proud. As a post script/practical matter: do you understand, or does anybody, why he doesn't bat at #3?

India's rule of three

Reader: Nampally

Another enjoyable nostalgic journey into the past, Mr. Ram Narayan! The best part of this journey was during Wadekar's captaincy in WI & England when India had back-to-back overseas series Test wins for the first time in history. Chandra & Venkat were magnificent in their victorious glory with some outstanding close in fielding by Solkar, Abid, Wadekar & Surti. Gavaskar was outstanding in batting in WI in his debut with a series total of 774 & was closely followed by Sardesai who was just 100 runs behind in total. Never did I see such dominance by the a team in fielding, bowling & batting. That really was "Teamwork" at its best in all 3 department. Can India ever reproduce such a great combo again? The present combo of spin trio was good but Vijay & Pujara only scaled the heights of Gavaskar-Sardesai on a "Mini scale". Nevertheless they still have chance to aim higher with 3 more Tests to go. Lets Go, India!

Warner's double-century crushes NZ spirits

Reader: Jose Puliampatta

What is the main feature in this NZ-OZ test series so far? Warner! Warner has taken 'test match batting' to an entirely different level altogether. It is not just the runs he scored; but, there is more to it. In my sixty plus years of following cricket, I have yet to see someone who blend so easily, say, (a) Lara's prim & proper cricketing shots and (b) Sehwag's "see the ball-hit the ball' type shots. AND, he is also setting new standards for the run rate, in test cricket. What I am delighted about even more, is the way he has matured as a human being. That makes a big difference in my book

Compiled by Abhimanyu Shahi and Larissa Mascarenhas