ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: Mitchell Johnson declares that he will sledge India in the semi-finals

It came as a big surprise when hostile Australian opening batsman David Warner vowed to stay away from verbal spats against India after a series of arguments with Indian players during the recent Test series.

The India-Australia rivalry has always been a subject of verbal spats, criticism and heated arguments. And when the two teams meet in the semi-finals of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 at Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), the intensity level will be much higher with sledging being the imminent force.

It came as a big surprise when hostile Australian opening batsman David Warner vowed to stay away from verbal spats against India after a series of arguments with Indian players during the recent Test series. Instead, his teammate Mitchell Johnson has declared to spearhead the sledging department.

Pacer Johnson has vowed to become the sledger-in-chief against the defending champions calling it as ‘a part of game’. The pacer suggested that Warner is believed to taken a back-seat when it comes to Australia’s forceful approach at the SCG.

“I heard Davey say he wasn’t going to get involved in all that stuff,” Johnson was quoted in a report from Press Trust of India (PTI).

“Someone’s got to do it and I think I might put my hand up. It’s part of the game and what happened the other day with Shane Watson and Wahab Riaz I thought was exceptional, the way they played the game,” he said.

“It was unfortunate with what happened afterwards. I thought it was great entertaining cricket to watch and I think you’re going to see some more entertainment this game,” the pacer further added.

With Watson and Wahab being fined for their on-field brawl, Australia coach Darren Lehmann expressed his disappointment and said that it will not hamper the player’s passion at SCG.

“I can’t help but think it’s a bit disappointing that the exchange was deemed to have crossed the line and I’ve been interested to read that greats of the game such as Brian Lara and Kevin Pietersen were surprised that’s how it was interpreted,” Lehmann quipped.

“But I have no doubt the passion and the thrills that Wahab’s spell ignited among the crowd in Adelaide will be there for all to see and hear at the SCG when we take on India in Thursday’s semi-final,” the head coach added.

Australian all-rounder James Faulkner also believes that the tensions would be alarming in the high-voltage knock-out game saying, “There’s going to be words said and it’s going to be a really tough contest.”

“I think there always is (sledging) in the game, if there isn’t you’ve got problems. It’s the nature of the game, it’s a semi-final. Cut throat. Neither team will be backing down,” he concluded.