Mitchell Johnson facts for kids
_(cropped).jpg)
Johnson in January 2014
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name |
Mitchell Guy Johnson
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 2 November 1981 Townsville, Queensland, Australia |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname | Midge, Notch | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 189 cm (6 ft 2 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Left-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Left-arm fast | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Bowler | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National side |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Test debut (cap 398) | 8 November 2007 v Sri Lanka | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Test | 17 November 2015 v New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ODI debut (cap 156) | 10 December 2005 v New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last ODI | 29 March 2015 v New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ODI shirt no. | 25 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| T20I debut (cap 24) | 12 September 2007 v Zimbabwe | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last T20I | 31 August 2013 v England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| T20I shirt no. | 25 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2008 | Queensland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2015 | Western Australia (squad no. 25) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | Mumbai Indians (squad no. 25) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2016 | Kings XI Punjab (squad no. 25) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016-2018 | Perth Scorchers (squad no. 25) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | Mumbai Indians (squad no. 25) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | Karachi Kings (squad no. 25) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | Kolkata Knight Riders (squad no. 25) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Medal record
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 17 November 2015
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mitchell Guy Johnson (born 2 November 1981) is a famous former Australian cricket player. He played for his country in all types of cricket games. He was a left-arm fast bowler and also batted left-handed.
Mitchell Johnson played for Australia from 2005 to 2015. Many people think he was one of the best fast bowlers of his time. During his career, he helped Australia win several big titles. These include the 2007 Cricket World Cup and the 2015 Cricket World Cup. He also won the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy and the 2009 ICC Champions Trophy.
In 2009, Johnson received the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy. This award is given to the best international cricketer of the year. After a tough period in 2013, he made an amazing comeback. He was especially strong during the 2013–14 Ashes series against England. He was so good that he won his second Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy in 2014. He also won the ICC Test Player of the Year award that same year.
Johnson played a key role in Australia winning the 2015 Cricket World Cup for the fifth time. He retired from international cricket in November 2015. He played a total of 256 matches for Australia. In August 2018, he announced his retirement from all forms of cricket.
Contents
Early Life and Cricket Journey
Mitchell Johnson was born and grew up in Townsville, Queensland. When he was younger, his favorite sport was tennis. His hero was the famous tennis player Pete Sampras. At 14, he had a chance to move to Brisbane to focus more on tennis. But he decided not to go.
It wasn't until he was 17 that Johnson stopped dreaming of being a professional tennis player. That's when he started to focus on cricket instead.
Starting Cricket as a Pro
When Johnson was 17, he went to a fast bowling clinic in Brisbane. There, a former Test fast bowler named Dennis Lillee saw him play. Lillee thought Johnson was a very special talent. He helped Johnson join the Australian Cricket Academy in Adelaide.
Johnson then played for Australia's Under-19 team in England in 1999. However, he had some back injuries that slowed him down. He got better and started his first-class cricket career two years later. He played for his home state, Queensland. In one game, he hit a six off the very first ball he faced in first-class cricket! In 2008, Johnson moved from the Queensland Bulls to the Western Warriors.
International Career Highlights
Mitchell Johnson began playing for Australia's One Day International (ODI) team in December 2005. His first game was against New Zealand.
Early Success (2005–2008)
Johnson showed his talent against India in a One Day International in Malaysia. He took 4 wickets for only 11 runs. This included the wickets of famous players like Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid. He also played in the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy. There, he took 3 wickets against England.
In October 2007, Johnson helped Australia win the ODI series in India. He took the most wickets in that series, showing his skill even on difficult pitches. In one game, he took 5 wickets for 26 runs. This was his first time taking five wickets in an international game.
Johnson made his Test match debut for Australia on 10 November 2007. This was at his home ground, the Gabba, against Sri Lanka. He took his first Test wicket in that game. In January 2008, he scored his first Test half-century against India.
In December 2008, Johnson had an amazing performance against South Africa in Perth. He took seven wickets for only 12 runs in a short time. He finished with 8 wickets for 61 runs in that innings. This was a fantastic bowling effort.
Becoming a Star (2009)
In 2009, Johnson improved his bowling by learning to swing the ball more consistently. During a Test match against South Africa, he scored 96 runs not out. He hit 26 runs in just one over, which was a record for Australia in a Test match. He also took eight wickets in that game.
In the second Test, he bowled incredibly fast. He took two wickets in his first over. A cricket expert, Peter Roebuck, even called him the best fast bowler in the world. In the third Test, Johnson scored his first Test century, getting 123 runs not out. He reached 100 runs in only 86 balls. Even though Australia lost the match, Johnson was named the best player of the series. He took 16 wickets and scored over 250 runs.
During the 2009 Ashes tour in England, Johnson faced some criticism for his bowling. But he found his form again in the fourth Test, taking 5 wickets for 69 runs. He also scored a career-best 73 runs not out in a One Day International against the West Indies. He finished 2009 as the world's top wicket-taker with 63 wickets. He was also the first Australian to take 30 wickets and score 300 runs in a single year.
The Amazing Comeback (2013–2014 Ashes)
.jpg)
After being out of international cricket for a year, Johnson returned for the Ashes series in Australia. In the first Test, he bowled incredibly fast and aggressively. He took 4 wickets for 61 runs in the first innings. Then, he took 5 wickets for 42 runs in the second innings. This helped Australia win the match easily.
In the second Test, Johnson continued his amazing performance. He took 5 wickets for just 12 runs in one spell. He even had a chance for a hat-trick twice in that innings. He finished with 7 wickets for 40 runs. Australia won that match too.
Johnson kept up his excellent form throughout the series. He took 37 wickets in the five-match series, which Australia won 5–0. He was named the best player of the series. In January 2014, Johnson also won the Allan Border Medal. This award goes to Australia's best male cricketer of the year.
Later Career and Retirement (2014–2015)
Johnson continued his strong performance in the 2014 Test series in South Africa. In the first match, he took 7 wickets in the first innings and 5 wickets in the second. This helped Australia win by a lot. Australia won the series 2–1, and Johnson took 22 wickets.
During the 2015 Ashes series, Johnson had a tough start. But in the second Test, he took 6 wickets and helped Australia win. In the next Test, he became the first Australian player since Shane Warne to take at least 300 wickets and score at least 2000 runs in Test cricket.
Mitchell Johnson announced his retirement from all international cricket on 17 November 2015. This was during a Test match against New Zealand. When he walked out to bat for his last innings, the New Zealand players gave him a special "guard of honor." He scored 35 runs and took two wickets in his final game.
Twenty20 Leagues
After retiring from international cricket, Johnson played in different Twenty20 leagues around the world.
Big Bash League (BBL)
In August 2016, Johnson joined the Perth Scorchers for the 2016–17 Big Bash League season. In a semi-final game, he had an amazing bowling performance. He took 3 wickets for only 3 runs in 4 overs. This was one of the most economical bowling performances in BBL history. He took a wicket with his very first ball and didn't give away any runs in his first two overs!
Indian Premier League (IPL)
Johnson also played in the Indian Premier League (IPL). In 2014, he was bought by Kings XI Punjab. In 2017, the Mumbai Indians bought him. In 2018, he played for the Kolkata Knight Riders.
Achievements and Records
Mitchell Johnson holds many impressive records in cricket:
- He is the fifth highest wicket-taker in Test matches for Australia, with 313 wickets.
- He is the third highest wicket-taker among left-arm fast bowlers in Test cricket.
- He has the best bowling figures for a left-arm fast bowler in a single Test innings. He took 8 wickets for 61 runs against South Africa in 2008.
- He took the most wickets (37) in the 2013–14 Ashes series. This was the most by a fast bowler in the Ashes since 1981.
- He has taken the most Test wickets against South Africa (64) since they returned to international cricket.
- He is the 13th player ever, and second Australian, to take over 300 wickets and score over 2000 runs in Test cricket.
- Overall, he took 590 international wickets in 256 matches.
Awards He Won
- Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy (ICC Cricketer of the Year): 2009, 2014
- ICC Test Player of the Year: 2014
- ICC Test Team of the Year: 2009, 2014
- ICC ODI Team of the Year: 2008
- McGilvray Medal: 2008, 2009
- Allan Border Medal: 2014
Personal Life
Mitchell Johnson married Jessica Bratich in May 2011. Jessica is a former model and has a black belt in karate. They have a daughter, born in 2012, and a son, born in 2016. Johnson is cross-dominant. This means he bats and bowls left-handed, but he writes with his right hand.
In 2016, Mitchell Johnson wrote his autobiography called Resilient.
Images for kids
-
Johnson bowling for Queensland in 2005.
-
Johnson bowling against India in 2010.
