Ashes Diary: England need to contain Mitchell and Mike

Ashes Diary / James Masters / 23 December 2010 /

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Mitchell Johnson and Mike Hussey looked weary and anxious during the First Test but their fortunes have since changed

"Much of Australia's gameplan rests on Michael Hussey continuing his astonishing run of form and Mitchell Johnson's capacity to swing the ball at the MCG. England are pretty confident that conditions in Melbourne will negate the threat of Johnson, while Andrew Strauss has spent the past few nights deep in thought in a bid to find a chink in Hussey's armour."

The Australian public is confident and upbeat once again after victory at Perth but the truth is they are massively reliant on Mitchell Johnson to swing the ball and Mike Hussey to keep piling on the runs. If either of those fail to perform, England could be in charge.

There's nothing quite like Christmas Down Under.

A barbecue on the beach, beautiful girls in bikinis, ice cold beer and of course the scorching summer sun.It's all a far cry from being stuck back in the motherland with the snow and ice causing havoc at Heathrow and treachery on the roads.

Even the most ardent England fan can take solace in the fact that life really isn't too bad in Australia - even if the locals have got their mojo back following the Perth pummelling. Since arriving in Melbourne on Tuesday, it's been a pretty quiet and relaxed atmosphere around the England camp.

Most of the players have been spending times with their families, taking in the city's sights, while others have been catching up with loved spouses over a coffee in one of Chapel Street's hundreds of hip cafes. What the players will notice however is that this Ashes series has gone up a level since they left Perth with their tails between their legs.

Ahead of the whacking at the WACA, you were more likely to hear the locals banging on about Oprah Winfrey's trip to Australia and how she has become a modern day saint. But with Oprah having gone home and Australia having finally managed to win a game, the cricket is the first thing on everybody's lips.

Suddenly, the host nation are world beaters once again and England have been derided as 'the same old Poms.' After all, it's not like the Aussies to be a fickle bunch, is it? What is certain is that Australia thoroughly deserved to win in Perth. Yet, only a fool would suggest that the victory means Australia are now in pole position. Lose once and it's all over.

Much of Australia's gameplan rests on Michael Hussey continuing his astonishing run of form and Mitchell Johnson's capacity to swing the ball at the MCG. England are pretty confident that conditions in Melbourne will negate the threat of Johnson, while Andrew Strauss has spent the past few nights deep in thought in a bid to find a chink in Hussey's armour.

Should both Australian stars fail to shine, the hosts will find themselves in trouble with several players out of form. Philip Hughes looks a liability at the top of the order, while Michael Clarke has flattered to deceive following a poor start to the series.
Get Hussey out and Australia look vulnerable. That's the message Strauss will be hammering into his players.

For England, this a great opportunity not only to retain the Ashes but to show they are not the same as teams of old. There is no doubt that this side, under the guidance of Strauss and Andy Flower, is far tougher and far more united than England teams of the past.

Read the Australian papers over here and you'd think this series was dead and buried. England have been written off already with the hosts already seemingly waltzing towards the Ashes.

Sound familiar? It has been a complete role reversal in the space of a week but as the game in Perth showed us, anything can happen in Test cricket.

Back your heart or your head - it's up to you. But if you're not sure, lay Ponting ([2.5)], Clarke ([2.6)] and Hughes ([2.9)] to score fifties in their first innings at the MCG.

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