Mum was to blame: Mitchell Johnson

MITCHELL Johnson says he was living in denial during the Ashes series and admits his public split with his mother undermined his tour of England.

Johnson has revealed the emotional toll caused by his mum Vikki Harber's claim that the fast bowler was "stolen" from her by his fiancee Jessica Bratich.

The left-arm quick battled an Ashes form slump - he struggled to hit the pitch during the second Test at Lord's - but at the time insisted personal problems were not to blame.

Now Johnson admits he was fooling himself, but insists he has emerged a mentally tougher person.

"I guess it (poor form) started off with the personal side of things. That really probably did get to me," he said yesterday.

"I was probably denying it as well at the time.

"The personal things that came out, it was mostly through Lord's where I felt that pressure.

"Copping it from the crowd probably didn't help.

"Mentally, I have learnt to be a lot stronger. I've just got to concentrate on what I'm doing out in the middle.

"This is what I have to do for a living and I've just got to leave everything behind me when I'm out there."

"My problems got technical as well because I was thinking about it but in the end it was just more of a mental thing." Johnson said.

"I just had to concentrate on where I wanted to bowl the ball and how I wanted to get those guys out and I just wasn't doing that.

"Hopefully I have passed all that and I can mentally be stronger.

"I block things out pretty well normally but I think it was just the Ashes, the whole hype of it, and the personal things that came out."

Former Australian captain Kim Hughes said Johnson was performing no better than a club bowler and had hit "rock bottom with his confidence" after his mother's outburst.

After being stripped of the new ball in England, Johnson is set to open the bowling with Ben Hilfenhaus in Thursday's first Test against the West Indies in Brisbane.

Captain Ricky Ponting believes Johnson bowls better with the new Kookaburra ball used in Australia than the Duke ball of England.

Johnson said the faith shown in him by Ponting had helped turned his form around.

"I definitely thought I wasn't going to play the Edgbaston (third) Test," he said.

"I'm glad I got that opportunity again. You just can't take anything for granted.

"Who knows where I could have been now? I could be back playing state cricket."

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Hopes out for Nagpur, doubts over Lee and Johnson

Australia have been hit with injury worries to their bowlers just one game into the seven-match series against India, with James Hopes ruled out of the second match and a question mark over the availability of strike bowlers Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson.

Allrounder Hopes suffered a hamstring strain during the first match in Vadodara on Sunday. Mitchell Johnson left the field briefly with a left ankle problem while Lee complained of a sore elbow. Lee managed only six overs during the chase, left the field after his second spell and later returned.

"Hopes, Lee and Johnson all underwent scans in Vadodara this morning," team physiotherapist Kevin Sims said. "James has suffered a minor right hamstring strain. He will therefore be unavailable for the next game... however [he] is expected to be available for the latter games of this series.

"Brett Lee has a mild right elbow strain and will continue to be treated and assessed prior to the next game.

"Mitchell Johnson suffered an inversion strain of his left ankle. He will now receive treatment and, as with Brett, it will depend on how he responds to treatment over the next two days before a decision is made on his availability for the second game of the series."

Australia lost key players Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin and Nathan Bracken to injuries before the tour began. The captain Ricky Ponting didn't hide his displeasure over the scheduling of the ODI series, which began just three days after the Champions League Twenty20, where the New South Wales players arrived in Vadodara to join the rest of their Australia team-mates less than 12 hours before the match.

The second ODI is in Nagpur on Wednesday.

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"Feel awkward to sledge Indians"

A series between India and Australia in the last few years have given way to some anxious heated moments.

However, the seven-match ODI series, which is commencing from October 25 in Vadodara, may witness this time a lesser number of sledging incidents on Australia's part.

"It is easier to get under the skin of a person if you don't know him personally. But thanks to the Indian Premier League, we know many of the (Indian) players and hence it becomes awkward sometimes," says all-rounder James Hopes.

"Things can get a bit heated when you are on the field but the difference from the earlier times is that it will be restricted on the field. Once the match is over we clarify all the issues off the field," he adds.

Meanwhile, wicketkeeper Tim Paine also replied in the negative when asked about on-ground sledging.

"I have done it a few times in the domestic matches but yet to open my mouth in the international matches. If I have to say anything, I would rather say it to the bowler and the skipper," Paine said.

Australia speedstar Mitchell Johnson, who has already talked about giving chin music to the Indian batsmen, recalls an incident when he tried to sledge Rahul Dravid during last year's Delhi Test.

"I hoped to put Rahul Dravid off his game and really sledged him. He was batting on 50-plus. But he hardly reacts.

I realised soon that I was wasting my breath," he said.

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