Ashes: Aussie Mitchell Johnson claims 300th wicket

Mitchell Johnson became just the fifth Australia bowler to take 300 Test wickets as he hauled his side back into the third Ashes Test against England at Edgbaston yesterday

Birmingham: Mitchell Johnson became just the fifth Australia bowler to take 300 Test wickets as he hauled his side back into the third Ashes Test against England at Edgbaston yesterday.


Mitchell Johnson celebrates his 300th Test wicket after dismissing England's Jonathan Bairstow in Edgbaston yesterday. Pic/Getty Images  

Left-arm fast bowler Johnson had started the match on 299 wickets but met with no success in his five overs on Wednesday's first day at Edgbaston after Australia had collapsed to 136 all out.

But his third ball on yesterday saw Johnson to the 300 mark with a superb lifting delivery that recalled England batsman Jonny Bairstow, averaging over 100 in county cricket this season, could only fend off the glove to wicket-keeper Peter Nevill for five.

Two balls later, Johnson had his 301st Test wicket as a similar delivery had all-rounder Ben Stokes caught behind for a duck. Johnson had taken two wickets for no runs in three balls.

Only leg-spin great Shane Warne and fast bowlers Glenn McGrath, Dennis Lillee and Brett Lee had previously taken 300 Test wickets for Australia. And having scored three runs on Wednesday, Johnson became just the second Australian player, after Warne, to complete the Test double of 2,000 runs and 300 wickets.

Johnson's 69-Test career has not, however, been one of uninterrupted progress, with the 33-year-old mocked mercilessly by visiting fans when he lost control of both line and length during England's 2010-11 Ashes series win in Australia.

But it was a very different story in 2013-14 when he took 37 wickets at under 14 apiece as Australia regained the Ashes with a 5-0 rout of their arch-rivals.

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