2005–2006 In December 2005, Johnson was selected for the Australian
One Day International team, making his debut against New Zealand in
Christchurch, with chairman of selectors
Trevor Hohns justifying his selection on the grounds of grooming players for the future. Johnson gave the first signs of his potential at international level against the strong Indian batting line-up in a One Day International in
Malaysia, Johnson's 7th. He took 4/11 off just 4 overs, including the wickets of
Sachin Tendulkar,
Rahul Dravid and
Yuvraj Singh. Johnson then played in the Australian
2006 ICC Champions Trophy team and in the group A match against England where he took 3/40, including the wicket of
Kevin Pietersen. Johnson was chosen to be in the squad for the first
Ashes Test beginning on 23 November 2006, but was 12th man in all of the games.
2007–2008 On 26 January 2007, Johnson took 4 wickets in 8 balls during the seventh match of the
CB Series against England, for which he earned man of the match honours. In October 2007, Johnson helped Australia seal the ODI series in India. He finished as the top wicket-taker with 14 wickets, which showed his abilities, even on the slow pitches of the sub-continent. In the fifth ODI in
Vadodara he took 5/26, his first international five-wicket haul. On 10 November 2007, while making his Australian Test match debut against
Sri Lanka at his home ground,
the Gabba, Johnson took his first wicket – that of
Thilan Samaraweera, caught by
Adam Gilchrist. Johnson went on to take 4/96 in the match. On 19 January 2008, Johnson scored his first ever Test half-century, against
India in
Perth, having been both dropped and bowled off a no-ball, although
Australia ended up losing the match. On the second day of the
first Test against South Africa in Perth on 18 December 2008, Johnson took seven wickets for just 12 runs, including five wickets for two runs near the close, to reduce the tourists from 3/234 to 8/241. He ended with 8/61 the next day. Despite this performance,
Australia went on to lose the Test. Batting with
Michael Clarke, he made 64 later in the series.
2009 The
2009 tour to South Africa saw an important development in Johnson's armoury – the ability to consistently swing the ball into the right-hander, which he previously had struggled to achieve. During the first Test, on 27 February 2009, Johnson scored 96 not out, to help
Australia post 466 all out. This included one over in which he scored 26 runs off the bowling of
Paul Harris, hitting two fours and three sixes, the last of which carried out of the stadium and broke
the record for the most runs in an over for
Australia in a Test match. He also took eight wickets with the ball. In the second Test, he unleashed a fiery spell of fast bowling that gained him two wickets in his first over and three in his first spell, as well as sending both
Jacques Kallis and
Graeme Smith off, retired hurt. After this, notable cricket commentator
Peter Roebuck described him as the best fast bowler in the world. In the third Test, with
Australia almost defeated, he struck his maiden Test century 123 not out, reaching triple figures in only 86 balls. With tail-ender
Bryce McGain for company, Johnson decided to take on the bowling and struck
Dale Steyn for six to reach his century. Although
Australia went on to lose the Test match by an innings, Johnson was named man of the series, with 16 wickets and over 250 runs in 3 matches. During the
2009 Ashes tour he was criticised for his poor bowling and his lack of control. Johnson's position as spearhead of the Australian seam-attack was called into question, with match figures of 3/200 in the second Test at
Lord's and his demotion to first-change bowler in Australia's tour game against
Northamptonshire. In the match against Northamptonshire, he returned 7/67 from 18.1 overs as Australia won by 135 runs. Despite his poor form he was selected for the third Test. Johnson consequently re-discovered some form in the fourth Test, taking 5/69 in the second innings. Australia came into the
2009 ICC Champions Trophy ranked second in ODIs; along with being the event's reigning champions. They opened their campaign against an undermanned West Indian outfit who were without prominent players because of an industrial dispute. After being put into bat, Australia fell to 7/172 after 40 overs, before finishing on 8/275 in 50 overs as the pitch flattened out. Johnson scored a career best 73 not out, as Australia scored 69 runs from their batting Powerplay (between overs 44 and 49). In an innings which produced "fierce, clean hitting", Johnson struck three sixes and eight fours in his quick-fire 47 ball innings. Although Johnson went wicketless in the West Indian innings, he secured the man of the match award as Australia won by 50 runs. Johnson appeared to get back to his best towards the end of 2009, earning praise from captain
Ricky Ponting during the summer series against both the
West Indies and
Pakistan. He finished the year as the world's top wicket-taker (63) and also became the first Australian to take 30 wickets and score 300 runs in a calendar year. Johnson's best T20I batting performance was a 28 not out against Sri Lanka during the
2009 ICC World Twenty20 tournament played in England and his best bowling was 3–15, also recorded against Sri Lanka during the
2010 ICC World Twenty20 tournament in the West Indies.
2010–2013 In the
2010–11 Ashes series, Johnson took more wickets than any other Australian with 15 (36.93), even though he played only 4 Tests. In the first Test at the Gabba he was hit for 0/170 in the match and was so out of form that he was dropped. Returning for the third Test at
the WACA he hit 62, took 6/38 and 3/44 was instrumental in Australia's 267-run victory. However, his wayward bowling returned and Johnson became the subject of a chanting by the
Barmy Army whenever he bowled;
He bowls to the left, He bowls to the right, That Mitchell Johnson, His bowling is shite. In the fifth Test at the
Sydney Cricket Ground,
England fans sang this as he walked to the crease and he made a first ball duck as England won by an innings to retain the Ashes. In July 2012, he admitted the jibes he'd received from England fans during successive Ashes series defeats had dented his confidence. He has also, however, considered the choice to target him as a compliment. Ever since his overall poor Ashes series, Johnson claimed a spot in the South African series. He did not fare well in that series either, without picking up a 4 or 5 wicket haul, leaking many runs and not contributing heavily with the bat. He picked up a toe injury, escaping being dropped. He did find himself, later that year, in the 3rd Test against South Africa in Perth. There, he bowled exquisitely, picking up the prized wicket of
Hashim Amla and finishing with a four-wicket haul. He also gained a place in the Test series against Sri Lanka and although he did not play in the 1st Test, he was the man of the match in the 2nd, claiming match figures of 6–79 as well as playing a brilliant 92 not out. He then had to play as an
all-rounder in the 3rd Test due to
Shane Watson's injury. He had a poor first innings with the ball and bat with figures of 1–118 and only making 13, despite a fierce spell to
Lahiru Thirimanne which did not claim any wickets. He did bowl well in the second innings however, claiming the prized wickets of
Tillakaratne Dilshan and Thirimanne. Before the
3rd Test against India in March 2013, Johnson was dropped along with
James Pattinson, Shane Watson and
Usman Khawaja following a breach of discipline. Michael Clarke, the captain, revealed that the extreme step had been taken as a result of repeated infractions which led to Watson flying back home and contemplating Test retirement. Former players reacted with astonishment at the harsh decision taken by the team management.
2013–14 Ashes series After a year away from international cricket, including being dropped for the Ashes tour of England, Johnson returned to the Australia team for the return Ashes series in Australia. In the first innings of the first Test, after Australia ended with 295 all out (Johnson himself contributing 64), England were put under pressure by Johnson's intimidatingly quick and thunderously aggressive bowling style. After claiming the wicket of
Jonathan Trott just before lunch on the second day, he then dismissed
Michael Carberry,
Joe Root and
Graeme Swann in successive overs, engineering a dramatic English collapse from 2/82 to 136 all out. He backed up his 4–61 in the first innings with 5–42 in the second to seal a crushing victory. In the second Test match at
Adelaide Oval, Australia batted first and scored 570 runs in the first two days on a pitch that was very good for batting. England started their first innings at the end of day two, and Johnson dismissed captain
Alastair Cook early. On day three, Johnson bowled a spell after lunch that saw him take 5 wickets for just 12 runs. Johnson continued his exceptional form throughout the series, finding the consistency he had previously lacked, and took 37 wickets in the five-match series, which Australia won 5–0. He was named man of the series, having been man of the match in three of the five matches (the first, second and fourth Tests). At the end of the series in January 2014, Johnson also won the
Allan Border Medal (awarded to the best-performing male Australian cricketer of the year) for the first and only time in his career.
2014–2015 Johnson carried his form into the
2014 Test series in South Africa. In the first Test match at
Centurion Park, he took 7 wickets in the first innings and 5 wickets in the second innings to give Australia a 281-run win. His match figures of 12 wickets for 127 runs were the second-best figures ever by an Australian bowler against South Africa. Australia went on to win the 3-match series 2–1 with Johnson taking 22 wickets. During the first innings of the
2015 Ashes series, he picked up the worst bowling figures of his career, 0–111, where he was torn apart by England's batsmen. However, in the 2nd Test at Lord's, Johnson recovered to take 6 wickets in the match and a run-out of
Ben Stokes to help Australia to a 405-run win to level the series with England at 1–1. In the next Test at
Edgbaston, Johnson became the first Australian player since
Shane Warne to claim at least 300 wickets and score at least 2000 runs. Johnson announced his retirement from all forms of international cricket on 17 November 2015, before play on the final day of the second Test of the
Trans-Tasman Trophy series, a three-match series against New Zealand. He scored 35 runs in his final innings and then took both wickets in New Zealand's second innings, with the match ending in a draw that was enough for Australia to retain the Trans-Tasman Trophy. ==Twenty20 leagues==