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The Mitchell saga: Johnson’s retirement a signal for Starc’s rise in Test cricket

Mitchell Johnson's departure signals the rise of Mitchell Starc as the Australian pace spearhead.

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Mitchell Johnson's (left) departure signals the rise of Mitchell Starc as the Australian pace spearhead © Getty Images
Mitchell Johnson (left) and Mitchell Starc have been Australia’s leading bowlers in Tests and ODIs respectively until the former’s retirement © Getty Images

Australia’s sadness over bidding goodbye to some of its greatest names this year amplified after the retirement of one of its greatest pacers of all time. Mitchell Johnson bowed out of international cricket after the second Test against New Zealand at the WACA, Perth, passing the baton of leading the Australian attack in all three formats to another Mitchell in the side, who is currently following the same path himself. Amit Banerjee explains why Johnson’s retirement is a perfect opportunity for Starc to chart his rise in Tests and fill the void that Johnson leaves behind. READ: Mitchell Johnson announces retirement from international cricket

Australia has barely moved on since the retirements of some of its key cricketers following the tour of England earlier this year. Skipper Michael Clarke, Chris Rogers, Ryan Harris, Shane Watson and Brad Haddin brought the curtains down on their glittering careers, leaving behind a rich legacy, as well as a talented, but inexperienced, side that would take some time to mature. Australian cricket perhaps had not witnessed such emotions since the 2006-07 Ashes, which witnessed the farewells of legends such as Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath among others.

Barely three months have passed since the exodus, when the ‘Baggy Greens’ have been dealt with another blow, with Johnson sending shockwaves across the cricket community, as well as the fans, by announcing his retirement from international cricket ahead of the final day of the second Test against New Zealand. READ: Mitchell Johnson retires as one of Australia’s greatest tearaways

While many would have expected him to continue for another couple of years or so, the fiery left-arm pacer could not have picked a better venue to bow out than the WACA, where he has recorded some of his greatest spells of all time (such as his spell of 8 for 61 versus South Africa).

Sad as his retirement may be for the Australians, his exit will be met with questions of his successor for the role of the bowling spearhead. Given the current state of affairs in the Australian team, Mitchell Starc would probably be the first name to pop into the minds of many. Starc’s stature as a strike bowler has grown immensely in the recent months, even surpassing that of Johnson in limited-overs contests.

The left-arm pacer is perhaps one of the best things to have happened in the current era of Australian cricket, and is expected to be a major driving force of the new-look side that has begun its journey under the captaincy of Steven Smith. Starc, several members of whose family are eminent sportspeople, charted a steady growth as a pacer since making his international debut during the 2010-11 tour of India. He cemented his reputation as a terrific ODI bowler during the ICC Cricket 2015 World Cup, in which he finished as the leading wicket-taker with an incredible average of 10.18.

Blessed with traits such as height, pace and accuracy — things that genuine pacers boast of — Starc is tailor-made to take up the role that Johnson had executed with passion and aggression before him. Though he may not have a moustache as impressive as that sported by Johnson (or Merv Hughes, to travel back further in time), Starc definitely makes up in more ways than one when it comes to maintaining the aggression levels during a game.

He may have executed it brilliantly in the limited-overs contest, but his brilliant spell during the second Test against New Zealand at the WACA (where he was touching 160 kmph) gave us a glimpse of what he is capable of in the five-day format. Moreover, Starc’s magical spell, which ranks among the best this year so far (alongside that of Stuart Broad at Trent Bridge and Wahab Riaz at Adelaide), may have reassured Johnson of his team’s bowling unit having an able successor for the future in him.

Johnson’s exit may have added to the turbulence that Australia is currently undergoing following a topsy-turvy tour of England, and his stature as one of the all-time Australian greats cannot be questioned under any circumstances. His retirement however, is a signal for connoisseurs of raw, destructive pace to shift their focus from one left-handed Mitchell to another.

(Amit Banerjee, a reporter at CricketCountry, takes keen interest in photography, travelling, technology, automobiles, food and, of course, cricket. He can be followed on Twitter via his handle @akb287)

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