Gareth Batty: Mitchell Johnson's reaction proves the Barmy Army has definitely got to him

I have to admit I was surprised to read Mitchell Johnson’s comments about the Edgbaston crowd in recent days.

To me, he’s admitted that he let the Barmy Army get to him and negatively affect his cricket.

By revealing he decided to bowl a ‘long ball’ from two metres behind the crease but failed to execute it properly, says to me that the crowd planted some doubt in his mind.

I think we’ve seen on a few occasions that the Barmy Army has got to Johnson. My take on this is that because he’s talking about it, he’s trying to show there’s no weakness — but maybe it shows that there is? Although there was a big crowd in Birmingham, I would suggest it’s not the size of the crowd that affects a cricketer but it’s how personal the crowd feels to you. For instance, a lot of the worst experiences I have had with crowds are not at grounds like Edgbaston or Trent Bridge but at small — often sold out — places like Hove and Chelmsford where the crowd is right on top of the action and you feel close to people.

Most of the time when you’re concentrating on the game, you don’t know or care what’s going on in the crowd. It’s when you’re not quite on the money that you can sometimes start to let the crowd in.

Trent Bridge tomorrow is a massive occasion and I believe that England will be facing a big backlash from the Aussies. They don’t lie down and take defeat well so will be coming hard.

The loss of Jimmy Anderson is massive. You can’t just replace him and it’s not fair on anyone to be asked to do so. To try and make up for it, England will need their whole bowling group to add a little bit to try and fill that gap. It won’t be easy.

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