Marking The Badge

Mitchell Johnson in full-flow is as frightening as cricket gets. The players know that, the fans know that, Mitchell Johnson knows that. When Virat Kohli strode out in to the wicket after Johnson had Murali Vijay caught behind hanging back in the crease, you knew what was going to happen next.


The decibel level in the crowd rose significantly. The expectation grew tenfold. This was Australia's most threatening bowler against India's most threatening batsman. Of course we knew what would happen. It was inevitable. Johnson was going to lay down a marker on the stand-in captain of India.

West Indies' created the habit of welcoming the opposition captain to the crease with a short delivery to stamp their authority and Mitchell Johnson - as today's modern incarnate of the famous West Indies' bowling - looked to do similar.

The ball didn't jump off a length. Nor was it up in Kohli's throat aiming to replace his Adam's apple. No, this was a regulation chest high ball that Kohli misread and misread horrifically. The ball clattered into the badge on his helmet. What occurred next showed the fear that now resides within some bowlers after the Phillip Hughes' tragic death. 

What should have been viewed as a good short ball - directly on the badge, the perfect statement by Johnson - should have unnerved Virat Kohli to the core of his body actually went against Australia by focusing Kohli and visibly shaking Johnson.


Fear is a big exponent of fast bowling. Batsman would be lying if they never feared facing a genuinely quick pacemen, especially of Johnson's ilk.This time, however, the fear was in Johnson's eyes. He was first up to Kohli to check if he was okay. Quickly followed by a pack of Australian's. Not the same pack that Faf Du Plessis had famously described. This was different. They were terrified.

Throughout the rest of the day, Johnson only bowled 5 more bouncers to Kohli, even dismissing him with one some 183 balls after hitting him on the helmet. The bouncer wasn't coming out with the same aggression it once had. The ball had to be delivered, but Johnson was visibly uncomfortable doing so. There was no fear.

Nathan Lyon believed the bouncer hitting Kohli and Johnson getting the wicket with the bouncer will re-ignite the aggression that Johnson is famed for. 

"It has been a positive thing as bad as that sounds, we know the helmets work and to have that confidence for our quicks to bowl the bouncer again."

Lyon seemed to be proven right as Johnson steamed in to Wriddhiman Saha with that old, menacing stare in his eyes before the end of the days play. 

Time will tell whether that wicket has reignited the flame in Johnson's heart. No amount of counseling could have prepared Johnson for the first time a batsman ducked into one of his cork and leather missiles. The only mental preparation is the act of bowling a bouncer. The cricketing world will be supporting his quest to find that old menace. Well, maybe not the Indian batsman.