The Sight of Summer

Halfway through the first month, it is already the defining image of this summer. Mitchell Johnson haring down the side of the pitch, both arms extended out wide. His jet black hair flows behind him, his mouth, surrounded by mustache, is half caught in a grin and the gaping sight of a scream. Johnson often spins around to look at the umpires, a lasting reflex of his past failures. He leaps into a theatrical celebration, whether it is the menacing glance Jimmy Anderson received, or a typical mid air fist pump. He is embraced by his teammates as another English batsman trudges off conquered. Johnson grins amongst the high fives, while an Australian yells towards the defeated batsman. The crowd roars again in anticipation of another bouncer, supporting the man that was furiously despised just four weeks previously.

Where in Australia’s dominance, such unnecessary, cocky celebrations would have lead to murmurs of poor sportsmanship, Johnson with arms extended fills spectators with pride. When Brett Lee started up the chainsaw after dismissing another hapless New Zealand tailender, we sighed and rolled our eyes. When Steve Waugh’s dominant team sledged a sunburnt and broken member of a failing English touring party we almost felt sorry for them for coming up against such aggressive and thoughtless opponents. Now when Johnson hits Anderson in the ribs again and our captain swears at him we cheer and laugh at how the Poms have been reduced to rubble.

The redemption of this team, and Johnson, unexpectedly, almost impossibly, has lead to a new feeling about our team. The Australian cricket team is ours again. Four weeks ago, Johnson was a symbol of our failure to remain at the top. Always promising a return to glory, often doing more harm than good. Four weeks ago, if David Warner tried to hit one over the fence and blew it we cursed our luck and cursed at the television. Now we shrug our shoulders, that is just Davey trying to dominate. Four weeks ago if Michael Clarke verbally attacked an English fast bowler it would have been foolish, now it is mentally disintegrating the opposition.

While this summer, even these three tests, may have been an exception rather than a rule for this era of Australian cricket, it will never go away. We all know that Johnson is capable of coming to the MCG and missing the pitch completely, but it wouldn’t matter. Because that ever lasting image of Johnson running towards his teammates in jubilation has been burnt into our memory. All of us remember Waugh’s last ball century, we don’t need to remember that he didn’t score another run before being dismissed. We will forever have the feeling of pride and redemption that Johnson and this team have given us in three weeks.

Photo via smh.com.au, AP – link.