'He hasn't bowled as well as he would have liked at Lord's (during the second Test) and he had times in this game where he went for four, five and six an over with the ball flying through gully and slip.'

'That's the nature of the beast.'

Nielsen claimed that Johnson's problems were both technical and mental.

'He probably feels like everything he tries nothing works. If he gets an edge it doesn't go to hand,' said Nielsen.

'There's no doubt that as a sports person it's nice to get some positive feedback by getting a wicket or making some runs,' he said.

'At the moment, it hasn't worked for him. That's the challenge of this game.

'The good players who last a long time have to keep fronting up, whether it be good or bad, and keep doing the right things.

'That's why I was pleased with Mitchell. He bowled fast at the end.'