Mitchell Johnson feels Amir will trouble the Aussie batsmen with the pink ball

The Pakistan team is in Australia preparing for the upcoming Test series against the hosts. They have had mixed performance in the recent past; having leveled the series in England and beating West Indies in the UAE they were completely outplayed by the Black Caps in  their backyard. Ahead of the series as Pakistani’s prepare themselves for the grilling former Australian pacer Mitchell Johnson remembers a particular delivery from Mohammad Amir and believes the Aussie batsmen will find it really difficult to negotiate him with the pink ball.

Talking about the first ball that he faced from Amir, Johnson said, “It was at the first ball he bowled to me at Leeds. I felt it was going down leg, so I just went to clip it and the next thing I knew my off peg was flying out of the ground. I’d played straight, but it had completely beaten me. It swung so far it made me look ­stupid.”

In the tour match swung the pink ball under lights and ran through the Cricket Australia XI top order. The first ball to Jimmy Pierson swung back in rattled the stumps, the next moved back in as well and caught Will Bosisto right in front to be given out lbw. Though he couldn’t get the hat-trick Jake Winter couldn’t survive Amir’s second over. He finished his 10 overs with figures of 3/15.

Johnson was full of praises for the young pacer and said, “He was such an impressive bowler, all the batsmen in the dressing room were talking about how good he was the summer before when he’d come down to Australia,” Johnson said.

The Aussie who was one of the most feared fast bowlers himself feels, pace bowling comes natural to Amir and that makes him exceptional. “He was just so natural. He had good control, he seemed to know exactly where he wanted the ball to go and he is always up at the batsman,” he said.

“When we got to England, he was unplayable when it was ­seaming and I think it’s going to be the same story under lights at the Gabba, especially if they leave some grass on the wicket.”