In his latest blog, Ian Pont compares the two potent fast bowlers and highlights why they have been so successful in recent times.

by Ian Pont (26th February 2014)

In his latest blog for PakPassion, pace bowling coach Ian Pont looks at the fascinating battle and comparison between two of the world's fastest bowlers in the world, Mitchell Johnson and Dale Steyn.


Steyn vs Johnson - The Shootout 

It took a knocking off the number one spot on one hand and a complete reflection on what he was doing on the other, to bring Dale Steyn and Mitchell Johnson back to the fast bowling top table.

Johnson is perhaps the biggest turnaround of a career in recent times. From an inconsistent, unreliable loose cannon on the pitch with the ball, into a helmet grill crunching, thunderbolt slinger with laser-guided precision, Johnson has truly put the wind up world-class batsmen. Registering close to 155kph, his aggressive tactics have unsettled the nerves and caused panic amongst the opposition. England were blown away and left as a shell against him. They were never able to recover on a tour that saw the Ashes ripped from them like a baby with a candy bar. 

Johnson himself admits he made few changes - if any. His arm is a fraction higher, his wrist position a little better, yet he still shuts himself off in the crease and probably has a few more KPH to come if he wanted it. But Johnson has reinvented himself with a deliberate approach to the crease that suggests he wants to control his movements, and a belly full of pace to unleash. And it is this desire, above all else, that has driven him to work through things.

Credit must go to those around him and advising him. Sometimes the simplest things are the hardest to do. But Australia has used Johnson wisely. Short bursts of 4-5 overs mostly, where he can maintain his firepower and then go off for a graze in the outfield for a couple of hours until the break. This type of player management shows an understanding that you don't treat your Ferrari as you would treat a tractor. Johnson has responded beautifully. And he is proof that pace, for the sake of pace, is a desired end when batsmen have little time to react and respond. 

Dale Steyn has by contrast been missing some of his mojo recently. As a teenager, he was all raw and aggressive with an ability to match Johnson's top end speed if he wished. But Steyn followed a different path that was more geared up to bowling into a specific area with pace rather than flat out, unadulterated gas. For all of Johnson's Ferrari, Steyn is an AMG Mercedes, with a purring, silky-like quality that oozes class when he is on top form. Yet some of that class has started to dissipate and briefly his fellow Saffer, Vernon Philander, took the top spot in the rankings. But really not for long.

That's because Steyn is a quality performer with the swing skills of a Jimmy Anderson but at a higher consistent speed. Should Steyn wish to floor the pedal for a few overs, as we have seen in some matches in the IPL, he can. But like the Mercedes, he is best off driving it firmly, if not hard all the time. Steyn could be quicker if he locked out his front leg and had a higher breaking force at his base, but he is now 30 and has had a few injury niggles. The back room staff will be less about getting his speed up and more about getting him on the park regularly.

The main difference between Steyn and Johnson is likely to be one of legacy.

Johnson is hot property right now and I hope he can continue to unsettle the best players around the world. The game is better for genuine quicks in it like Bond, Lee, Shoaib, Wasim, Waqar and others. However, Steyn is a quality bowler full stop. His strike rate is one of the best of the modern era and by the time his awesome career comes to an end, we are likely to have seen probably the greatest pace bowler of recent times. Johnson scares people out with a shotgun, Steyn skilfully extracts them like a surgeon. They are both effective and it's why the South Africa vs Australia series is a fascinating one.

Who will win the shootout between the two pacers?

Possibly Steyn will shade it, and I only say that because he is effective on all pitches and in most conditions. But it's a tough choice between a Ferrari and a Mercedes. If I could afford both I would have them.

  Discuss!