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Adelaide nightmare! Mitchell Johnson’s 7/40 left England reeling in Ashes 2013-14

Poulomi Chakraborty

Mitchell Johnson shatters England with 7/40 (Source: AFP Photos)Mitchell Johnson shatters England with 7/40 (Source: AFP Photos)

The iconic Ashes, where every delivery feels like a battlefield, and every shot carries the weight of history. Home advantages are common in cricket, but Australia took it to another level, as they built territory on their home soil.

As the world believes defeating Australia in their backyard is the toughest job, the Ashes have witnessed it for a long time. Every time England dared to tour Down Under, they faced a ruthless challenge, and far from a warm welcome, many tours turned into unforgettable struggles.

The 2013-14 Ashes was a horror show for the visiting side, but a dream for Australia’s fans. Amid the chaos, Mitchell Johnson’s scorching 7/40 in Adelaide stole the show. Let’s relive the fire on the field.

Mitchell Johnson unleashes hell on England with a blazing fifer

Whenever England and Australia face each other on the big stage, the flame of rivalry follows their footsteps, but if the encounter comes in the red-ball format, the rivalry takes flight as the excitement soars to the sky. The Ashes have served up drama, heartbreak, and unforgettable moments for decades, with every edition promising something bigger and bolder.

Amidst all the classic red-ball action, the Ashes 2013-14 stand reflected Australia’s brilliance, and England had a nightmare in the entire series, but their struggle sparked high in the Adelaide Test. Batting first, Australia piled up 570 runs, and England came to bat in the first innings.

As the rivals arrived to bat, Mitchell Johnson rolled up his sleeves, and England faced his fury. Coming to bowl in the third over, Johnson secured an early breakthrough, removing Alastair Cook in just three runs.

Just when England found a flicker of hope through a few gritty partnerships, Mitchell Johnson stormed in and shattered it all, removing Ben Stokes and Matt Prior, and Stuart Broad in the same over. Even though Ian Bell was standing on the other end, the consecutive setback landed England in trouble.

Coming back to the action in the 55th over, he struck once again as he sent Graeme Swann back in just seven runs. It wasn’t just another wicket; it sealed yet another sensational Test fifer, a moment that had the cricketing world once more bowing to his fiery legacy.

Is that the end of the destruction? Johnson says no

With Johnson’s fifer, England was reeling behind, but Mitchell Johnson was not done with the destruction. Moments later, he sent James Anderson packing for a golden duck, and the entire English batting lineup collapsed in a heap under his unstoppable fury.

Having Monty Panesar alongside, Bell tried hard to keep to game alive, but Johnson dismissed Panesar in just two runs. With that, England’s first innings ended in just 172 runs. In that innings, Mitchell Johnson registered a massive spell of 7/40 with an economy rate of 2.30.

In the history of Ashes, Mitchell Johnson has delivered countless masterpieces, but this spell at Adelaide still stands out. Just as England dreamed of turning the tide, Johnson singlehandedly crushed their hopes and delivered one of the most devastating Ashes spells ever.