Australia’s batters will not be scared by England’s pace attack in the Ashes, according to Mitchell Johnson.
England have assembled their fastest group of bowlers for a generation as they aim to win a series in Australia for the first time since 2010-11.
Jofra Archer and Mark Wood will spearhead the pace attack, with Archer famed for hitting Steve Smith with a delivery so ferocious in 2019, it forced the Australia skipper off the field with concussion.
However, ex-fast bowler Johnson says Smith – and Australia – will not be fazed by Archer’s return after years of battling injury.
“Since that match, Archer’s debut more than six years ago, he has barely played Test cricket – 14 more games in fact and just two Tests in the past four years,” wrote Johnson in The West Australian., external
“The way he is spoken about it sounds like he’s played a hundred.
“Archer has been out of the game for a long time with injuries, and while his highlight reel looks great, consistency is what matters in Test cricket.
“Their [England’s] Ashes hopes rest on whether Wood and Archer can stay fit, stay fast, and stay relentless across five brutal Tests in Australian conditions.
“The Australian top order won’t be fearful of the Wood-Archer combination. Respectful, yes, but not afraid.”