Australia’s left-arm quick Spencer Johnson says his body and mind feel “in a better space” after a brisk first outing for Chennai Super Kings – and he believes the speed gun will climb as he settles back into match cricket.
Johnson, 30, had not bowled a competitive ball between the end of IPL 2025 and last Friday’s fixture in Lucknow, a stress fracture of the back keeping him off the park for the best part of a year. Yet on debut against Lucknow Super Giants he clocked more than 140kph, hurried Mitchell Marsh and Josh Inglis, and finished with 1 for 39 from four overs.
“Yeah, I think that [hitting speeds above 145kph] is definitely something to work towards,” Johnson said on the eve of CSK’s final home match, against Sunrisers Hyderabad. “I think my pace was okay the other night, and hopefully the more games I play, the more comfortable I’ll feel.”
The left-armer admits the lay-off created doubts. “I feel like I’ve done a lot of bowling in the nets for the last two or three months, and to get out there, there was a bit of uncertainty. But now that I’ve got through that first game, I feel like there was some sort of rhythm there, and I feel like I’m really going to get better and faster. So hopefully it’s just the start.”
Technical tweak
Before joining Super Kings as a replacement for Nathan Ellis in late April, Johnson spent time with former Australia seamer Ryan Harris, ironing out a small flaw in his action that coaches felt might be loading the lower back. CSK bowling coach Eric Simons has since eased him through progressively heavier spells.
“Yeah, coming from Australia, there’s a lot of emphasis on your technique, and potentially why stress fractures can happen,” Johnson said. “So there’s a few things that crept into my game that I could iron out with Ryano back at home and really drill down my technique, and that was pretty simple in the end. There weren’t a lot of changes, just being a little bit straighter, running in a bit straighter and making sure that all the momentum is going in the right place and not putting too much stress on the back.”
Simons is understood to be pleased with Johnson’s progress – the South African tends to measure a bowler’s readiness more by repeatability than raw pace – while head coach Stephen Fleming has quietly reminded the squad that Johnson’s left-arm angle offers a balance the attack lost when Jamie Overton went down injured.
Embracing the pressure
The IPL is rarely forgiving to returning fast bowlers. Crowds are full, surfaces can flatten, and the white ball seldom swings for long. Johnson, though, appears determined to enjoy the experience.
“I’m not sure if you saw it on TV the other night, but I was trying to smile and enjoy the game… It’s challenging, but I wouldn’t be anywhere else in the world,” he said, the grin obvious even through the helmet-cam replays.
He added later, “I think there’s always going to be pressure coming into this tournament. It’s the best tournament in the world, and I’m playing for probably the best franchise in the world, so just being here is a privilege. I’m not sure if you saw it on TV the other night, but I was trying to smile and enjoy the game. Because it’s a ga” – the sentence tailing off as he broke into laughter.
Early signs
Numbers alone seldom tell the full story of a bowler coming back from injury, but the data was encouraging: an average speed a touch over 142kph, a power-play over conceding just four runs, and a wicket courtesy of a sharp in-ducker. The one boundary he leaked at the death, a sliced four wide of third man, owed more to luck than design.
Former India seamer Ashish Nehra, watching on television, noted: “Johnson’s seam was upright and he was hitting a heavy length. With one more yard of pace he’ll be a genuine handful.”
What next?
CSK, presently jostling in mid-table, need at least two wins from their last three matches to keep play-off qualification in their own hands. If Johnson can hold his end at the death, it frees up Matheesha Pathirana for earlier strikes, a balance Fleming has long preferred.
For the player himself the aim, in his own words, is simple: bowl quickly, stay fit, and enjoy the ride. As he packed away his spikes after training in Chepauk’s sticky evening heat, he turned to a colleague and shrugged: “It’s just nice to feel part of a game again.”
A small step, then – but one delivered at pace, with a bigger stride in mind.
