Fire still burning for jilted Johnson

As the eternal Olympic flame makes its way to Rio for the games of the 31st Olympiad, another fire continues to burn bright inside Mitchell Johnson.

While the Olympic torch continues to be extinguished and reignited with the various backups scattered around the globe, there was a fear Johnson's internal spark had been forever snuffed after his return to competitive cricket was curtailed only a couple matches after it began.

Two games into his comeback since retiring from international cricket last November, Johnson was dropped by the Kings XI Punjab hierarchy, and has played only other match hence.

As it turns out, it's exactly what the Australian needed after a longer than expected return to his fire-breathing ways.

"It took two weeks to get the real desire," Johnson told cricket.com.au in Chandigarh.

"I thought I had it, I felt really good with the ball in my hand, but I probably wasn't quite there until two weeks into the tournament.

Image Id: ~/media/DA5AC1B591A74FA4A2A93F24A5687D39 Image Caption: Tough start to IPL 2016 // BCCI

"Some of the net sessions I've been bowling I've had guys not come into my net because I've been pretty fired up.

"I hit 'Maxi' (Australian teammate Glenn Maxwell) in the thumb in Hyderabad.

"I actually told him not to come into my net because I had just been told I got dropped.

"I said 'don't come into my net, mate, I'm not in the mood.' No-one else was coming into the net and he came in, I had just bowled to one of our young guys, Manan Vohra, who I gave an absolute barrage to.

"Then Maxi came in, three balls later he's backed away to try to cut me and I just followed him and hit him on the thumb.

"Not that I was trying to intentionally hit him but I just followed him.

"Definitely the fire is there. It just took two weeks longer than I wanted it to."

Johnson wasn't the only one noticing his initial IPL slump.

Former Queensland Bulls paceman and Punjab bowling coach Joe Dawes had a surprising solution to get his spearhead's mind back in the game.

"Joey Dawes said early in the tournament, he goes 'I didn't want to say this earlier but do we need to slap you before you go out and play?

"'I'm not saying it in a bad way or anything, but do we need to slap you so you get pissed off and fired up?'

"I was like 'that might not be a bad idea'."

Image Id: ~/media/EDF3887A4FC74085B25BB1033691EA99 Image Caption: Watson and Johnson talking BBL // BCCI

While it had been five months since Johnson played his last Test match for Australia, against New Zealand on his home ground in Perth, the jet lag he suffered in those final moments as an international cricketer still lingered on in India.

Gone was the extreme pace, the hostile bounce and classic fast bowler's snarl Johnson employed to intimidate and exterminate the world's best batsmen.

He summoned all his fire and brimstone for one last burst in his final spell, taking two wickets with signature short-pitch deliveries, to bow out as one of Australia's finest and fiercest fast bowlers, if not a frustrated one.

"I think when I finished I mellowed out a bit," he said.

"Even towards the end, I felt a bit too 'matey' on the field and didn't really get into the contest.

"I didn't really get into the contest at the start of this tournament.

"That's where I've noticed a difference two weeks in, I've got into the contest in the nets, just need to get out there and play.

"That's what I do miss the most and that's what annoyed me the most as well at the end of my career, because that was starting to get pushed away a bit.

Image Id: ~/media/1AF02813D15C4E9487DD5494FBCB8ABF Image Caption: Johnson at the 2015 World Cup // Getty Images

"Umpires were getting involved, that was one thing that really bothered me a little bit because that was part of the game for me and some others as well.

"That's how I always played it. You play on skill but you pick certain guys to have a crack at.

"That's what I love, that's what makes it exciting for me.

"It's not just run and bowl, walk back to you mark, run in and bowl, do the same thing. You've got to get in the contest.

"That to me is still having desire and still wanting to play."

And that desire could carry him back to Australia and to a KFC Big Bash League debut.

"I had a chat with Watto (former teammate and close friend Shane Watson) last night (in Mohali on Monday) and he keeps saying 'you've got to play, it's really good, it's good fun'.

"I still haven't made a decision yet, but I think if I do it will be with the Scorchers.

"It's still a discussion that I need to have with my wife Jess and have a chat with JL (Scorchers coach Justin Langer) when I get back as well and see if they can fit me in.

"If I have that same desire I've had after that first two weeks here, having that same focus, I'm pretty keen to play. I just want to play cricket."