Moeen Ali has vowed to carry on attacking Mitchell Johnson as he seeks to attract cheers rather than jeers when he plays his first Test on his ‘home’ ground.
The brutal short ball that did for Moeen during England’s second innings implosion at Lord’s will not deter him from the positive approach that served England well in Cardiff.
‘I’m still looking to take the short ball on,’ said Moeen, back home in Birmingham preparing for England’s attempt to hit back from their Lord’s horror show in next week’s third Test at Edgbaston.
‘I’ve put some work into facing left-arm pace and feel like I’m in a better position against the short ball than I used to be.
‘Last year I was just trying to fend them off but at least at Lord’s I was trying to play it and it just got up on me and did me for pace, so I’m not concerned. I was comfortable against the ball before that but the pitch was a little two-paced by the fourth day and we went into our shell against. It wasn’t just Johnson.’
Yet the spectre of Johnson, who destroyed England in the last Ashes with 37 wickets, looms large again after he returned to his menacing best during a demolition that was as complete as anything that took place in the 5-0 humiliation.
Moeen is undeterred. ‘I don’t mind facing him,’ he insisted. ‘At Cardiff I managed to get a couple away and then at Lord’s I pulled him a few times. It’s not something I worry about as long as I keep doing my work.
‘I know he bowled very well in one innings out of four but in Cardiff we took it to him. He went for a lot of runs and didn’t take many wickets. I don’t want to let them just bowl at me so you’ve got to try to play shots.’
The Birmingham boy was booed by misguided Indian fans last year when he played at Edgbaston for the first time as an England player in Twenty20 cricket but he returns there next week knowing the crowd will be very much on his side. ‘I still consider it my home ground and it will be great,’ said the Worcestershire all-rounder, speaking in Sparkhill as part of a Chance to Shine event. ‘It’s where I grew up and I’m really looking forward to it.
‘Loads of my family are coming and it’s round the corner from where I live so I can drive home at the end of each day which is nice. I can’t wait.
‘Obviously I was upset when I was booed last year because it’s my home but I’m over it now and I’m not expecting that to happen this time.’
Moeen went back to the park where he first started playing to inspire children from the same inner-city Birmingham area where he grew up.
‘Cricket can change your life,’ said Moeen yesterday. ‘It can teach you about discipline and life in general. It makes you a lot more aware of things. Coming from this area makes you street-wise and you need that when you go into cricket.’
So where would he be now had cricket not changed his life? ‘I think I’d be working in a chippy,’ said Moeen. ‘In fact when I finish playing I think I will open a chippy round here and call it Big Mo’s.’
But before he gets to work with fish and chips Moeen needs to do his bit to ensure England do not get battered again at Edgbaston. – Daily Mail