Craig McDermott: Mitchell Marsh helped Mitchell Johnson fire in 2nd Ashes Test

Craig McDermott: Mitchell Marsh helped Johnson fire in 2nd Ashes Test

Bowling coach of the Australian cricket team Craig McDermott credited the all-rounder Mitchell Marsh for the comeback of their left-arm pacer Mitchell Johnson in the second Ashes Test, which the visitors won with a striking margin of 405 runs. After the bowler’s poor start in the series, which lead to Australia’s loss in the opening match, he left the opponents clueless with his brutal deliveries— the most notable one will undoubtedly be the bouncer that saw Moeen Ali pop up an easy catch to substitute Shaun Marsh at short leg in the second dig. READ: Mitchell Johnson leads Australia’s roar back in Ashes 2015

According to a report from Fox Sports, the former cricketer believes that inclusion of an all-rounder who can certainly is capable of bowling at 140kph makes your bowling attack quite different. Marsh was selected for the second Ashes Test at an expense of the experienced Shane Watson, and the former did justice to the belief of the selectors. Taking the crucial wickets of set batsmen Ben Stokes and Alastair Cook in the first innings, he had put brakes to the English runs. Those wickets certainly played a huge role in the visitors’ victory at Lord’s. READ: David Warner claims to have applauded after Joe Root scored 100 in 1st Ashes Test

“And the better he bowls the more he will be capable of doing in an innings, from eight to ten overs to 12-15, and that allows the other blokes like a Mitchell Johnson to bowl three or four over spells and just be on the money, bowling fast all the time. It changes Pup’s dynamics quite a lot as a captain,” McDermott added. READ: Shaun Marsh’s ton keeps Australia alive in tour game against Derbyshire

With Marsh appearing to fulfil the role of an all-rounder efficiently and produce surprising benefits on the side, Watson might find it more difficult to force his way back into the side than he first imagined.