Struggling Johnson is the key for Australia, feels Lawry

Former Australia captain Bill Lawry feels struggling Johnson is still a vital cog

With Brett Lee unable to take the field due to an abdominal injury, Mitchell Johnson was supposed to spearhead Australia's naive bowling attack in the Ashes.

However, the left-arm fast bowler has been so inconsistent and wayward that after Australia's humiliating defeat at Lord's on Monday, calls for Johnson's exclusion from the playing XI are getting louder with every passing day.

While celebrated cricket writer Peter Roebuck wrote in his column Johnson doesn't deserve his spot in a four-pronged attack, the speedster, who struggled with both his line and length in the two Tests so far, received the much-needed backing from Australia's cricketing fraternity yesterday.

Former Australia captain Bill Lawry said it would be ludicrous to even think of dropping Jonhson.

Be fair
"You've got to be a bit fair to Mitchell. He's been our No 1 striker for six Test matches, he's carried the attack and he's bowled a lot of overs. But he's still got eight wickets (in this series). He's not bowling well but it's still not as if he's getting none-for," Lawry was quoted as saying by the Sydney Morning Herald.

"If Mitchell Johnson falls over we'll fall over... He's the key to us."

With the possibility of Lee and Stuart Clark available for selection for the third Test, Johnson's last opportunity to make a mark would be Australia's three-day practice game at Northampton starting Friday.

And the Australian team management also backed Johnson.

Encouraging words
"We are not running from the fact that he didn't have a great Test here, but he got better," coach Tim Nielsen said yesterday.

"The great thing about Mitch is that he is such a quick bloke and such a quick learner. If we can get one or two little things right I'm sure he will be back on track pretty quickly."

After two matches, England lead the five-Test rubber 1-0 with three Tests remaining in the series.