TIM Nielsen believes Australia's chances of regaining the Ashes have skyrocketed thanks to Mitchell Johnson returning to the destructive form which terrorised South Africa last year.
Forget about Australia's new spinner being the X-factor. It's only in Xavier Doherty's name.
The real X-factor for Australia this summer is Johnson.
Again bowling at the kind of warp speed and accuracy which broke two of South Africa captain Graeme Smith's fingers within three Tests, and again clubbing centuries like he did in Cape Town, an in-form Johnson looms as England's worst nightmare at the Gabba from Thursday.
He snatched 5-35 and belted an unbeaten 121 from 143 balls for Western Australia at the MCG last week. His bowling was full throttle.
"He's become the leader of our attack," Nielsen said. "The public are up and down with him. But the public and especially the media are more down on him, more often, than Mitchell is.
"We don't expect him to walk in and take a thousand wickets every time he bowls.
"He took five wickets at Mohali, which was only two Test matches ago.
"He's a better bowler, and a better person, for all the experiences he's been through.
"A good proportion of those wickets have been taken in Australian conditions.
"We are very confident in what he can do on his own dung heap later this week."
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