Adelaide: Mitchell Johnson says he is relishing his intimidatory bowling, which has rattled England, earned him two man-of-the-match performances and put Australia on the edge of winning back the Ashes.
Johnson backed up his nine-wicket haul in the opening Brisbane Test victory with another eight scalps in Adelaide to have 17 wickets for the series at the stunning average of 12.50. The fearsome left-hander, reaching speeds of up to 150 kilometres (93 miles) per hour, has had the Englishmen ducking for cover.
He was not selected for Australia's 3-0 losing series in England this year, but is now the most substantial difference between the two sides. Johnson was cleared to play in the next Test in Perth despite a mid-pitch collision with batsman Ben Stokes during the 84th over of England's second innings on Sunday.
International Cricket Council match referee Jeff Crowe said both players pleaded not guilty to making inappropriate and deliberate physical contact. Reports said the charges were subsequently dismissed but there was no immediate confirmation.
Australian skipper Michael Clarke says the trick has been finding what methods work to bring out the best in Johnson, who once bowled erratically and was the target of England's taunting Barmy Army supporters.
Johnson has now found success under the tutelage of skipper Clarke, team coach Darren Lehmann and bowling coach Craig McDermott.
"I'm going out there trying to bowl the way that I want to bowl. I'm bowling in short spells, that is what Michael (Clarke) has wanted me to do through this series so far, and it's something that I have really enjoyed doing," Johnson said after Monday's 218-run second Test win in Adelaide.
"I guess having that intimidation factor is definitely a bonus. Look in the past and it wasn't probably quite there in the last couple of Ashes series for me. So to be able to come out, just back my ability, and know what I wanted to bowl, I have just really enjoyed it, so I will continue to do that throughout the series."
Johnson is particularly looking forward to bowling on the fast WACA pitch for Friday's third Test in Perth, where he has taken 36 wickets in five Tests at 19.67. "I will mentally reset myself and I need to be prepared for the next Test," he said.
"Going back home, I'm looking forward to getting around friends and family. Relax for couple of days and make sure I'm ready. It is a short turnaround but we are going to a ground where I really enjoy bowling."
England captain Alastair Cook, who was twice a victim of Johnson's bowling in Adelaide, said his team will be working on their batting techniques for the next instalment against him. "He's bowled very well and we haven't played him as well as we could have done. Some of our shot execution has been poor," Cook said.
"I think anyone lower down the order, obviously it's tough for them against a guy who's bowling so quick and they're working very hard in the nets and that's all we can do.
"We need to work on our games, we need to work on the technique needed to survive against quick bowling."
England must fix lopsided Ashes: Cook
England must fix lopsided Ashes: Cook
Adelaide: Captain Alastair Cook says it will take a monumental effort to hold on to the Ashes as England bid to defy history and fight back from 2-0 down against Australia.
The rampant Australians cruised to an emphatic 218-run victory in the second Adelaide Test, less than an hour into Monday's final day, to follow up their crushing 381-run win in Brisbane. Cook, with his own form under scrutiny after scores of three and one in Adelaide, said the tourists would have to turn things around quickly in the third Test in Perth, where they have not beaten Australia since 1978, to keep the series alive.
No England side has come back from 2-0 down to win an Ashes series, but Cook's team only have to draw the series to hold the urn. "It's certainly not impossible. A lot of people who'll be sitting in this room and outside will probably give us no chance," Cook told reporters.
"But if we believe in our dressing room that the urn's gone, then it might as well have gone. Two-nil is obviously not a great situation to be. It's going to take a monumental effort from us to do it, but we're the only guys who can turn it around."
Cook said although there was only a three-day turnaround to Friday's third Test there was enough time to work on their problems. "What's gone on in the past is of no relevance whatsoever. You can say that we haven't won there for however many years, it's of total irrelevance to this team," he said.
"We have to go there as this side in 2013 and deliver something very special or we're not going to do what we've come to do."
Responding to claims that the England team were past their peak, Cook said: "When you lose games people always criticise you. "People start looking at the side and they start saying, this is what happened. We can only concentrate on what's happening in the dressing room and what we believe.
"We've got some very good players in there, their record suggests there are some very good players. Good players turn it around and that's what we need to do."
Cook, who has had only one good score in the series with his 65 in the Brisbane second innings, is under pressure as captain to lead England out of their predicament, with former skipper Michael Vaughan fearing a 5-0 series whitewash to Australia. "There are some very tough moments as a captain and we're in the middle of it," Cook said.
"We're 2-0 down and I'm responsible as a captain for that in the sense that I'm leading the troops out there. It does hit you quite hard. But it's how you bounce back from it. When you lose it's not so good and it hurts."
Cook admitted that he, as captain, had to score runs and lead from the front. "I need to score more runs, simple deal. We all do, but there's only so many times you can keep telling the lads to do it and if you're not delivering it makes it harder," he said. "I'm there at the top of the order as a batter. These last two games I haven't been scoring enough runs. I need to go and change that."
