Australian paceman Mitchell Johnson has been dropped from Australia’s side for the second Ashes Test against England, beginning Friday morning in Adelaide.
Australian captain Ricky Ponting said Johnson’s poor form in his wicketless Ashes opener cost him a place.
Fast bowlers Doug Bollinger and Ryan Harris remain in a 12-man squad, with the starting XI to be decided before play, Ponting said.
“Mitchell Johnson is out of the side, so we are down to the other quickies left and we’ll decide the final make-up of the XI in the morning,” Ponting told reporters on Thursday.
“The selectors felt that he just down on a bit of form and down on a bit of rhythm, I think that was probably highlighted in the last game.
“As we all know, the game of Test match cricket is hard enough as it is without having to try and find those types of things in the middle of a Test match.”
Ponting said Johnson was noticeably out of touch.
“… He has got a little bit of time now obviously before the Perth Test match to hopefully rediscover some of that rhythm,” Ponting said.
“Everyone standing around the nets and watching him and watching him during the game last week realised he was a little bit off the mark and a bit off bowling the way that we know he can bowl.
“Quite often when we see most of our guys, it only takes (bowling coach) Troy (Cooley) and the coach (Tim Nielsen) and myself a few minutes to stand there and watch, and you just know whether those guys are in good touch or not.”
