Mitchell Johnson, Australia’s fifth most successful Test bowler, has called for Mitchell Starc’s inclusion in Australia’s Playing XI for the second Ashes 2019 Test at Lord’s on 14th August, Wednesday.
However, Johnson has admitted that it would be hard to change the winning team, but feels Tim Paine and Justin Langer should make a bold call to drop James Pattinson to bring in Starc to the XI for the second Test, as he could be handy for England’s left-handers at the seam-friendly Lord’s turf.
The former pacer believes that Starc can make the most of the 2.5-meter drop at Lord’s, where he picked up nine wickets in two World Cup games this summer.
Johnson told cricket.com.au, “I’d go for Starc and probably have Pattinson out. As much as I want to see [Josh] Hazlewood go well you can’t drop Sidds [Siddle]. He’s been really useful and especially on the slope I think he’d be very good and he just backed up [Nathan] Lyon really well. And [Pat] Cummins is in his own little world, just leave him be.”
He signed off by saying, “It’s hard to change a winning side but I’d like to see Starc still come charging in. The slope comes into it, big time. Left-armer, bit of a different angle. We saw in the last Test the [Australian pacers] coming around the wicket a fair bit … I’m not too sure about that. Someone’s got to stay over and one around to left-hand batters. So maybe a left-hand bowler would be ideal.”
(With cricket.com.au inputs)
