Could Australia Really Drop Mitchell Johnson from Ashes Opener?

It seems unthinkable given his domination of the 2013/14 series, but there's a chance that Mitchell Johnson may not even start Australia's Ashes defence. Selectorial arithmetic suggests that four fast bowlers into three places won't go. Could England's tormenter-in-chief really be the one to face the chop?

One of the most interesting subplots of Australia's demolition of the West Indies was the jockeying for position of the quicks ahead of the Ashes opener in Cardiff.

Mitchell Starc showed that he can be just as deadly with the red ball as he is with the white. That was no real surprise. What was more unexpected was Josh Hazlewood's excellence.

The 24-year-old was thought to be keeping the third-seamer seat warm prior to Ryan Harris' return. He missed the trip to the Caribbean on paternity leave.

Hazlewood's 12-wicket haul, at an average 8.83, was hugely impressive, especially given the depressingly slow pitches on show in Dominica and Jamaica. Throw in important runs at the bottom of the order in the first Test and the youngster's Man of the Series award was richly deserved. Cricket Australia's official Twitter feed highlighted a group photo taken with the Frank Worrell Trophy:

"

Great shot of the #FBC letting @NathLyon421 join in the group photo with the Frank Worrell Trophy #WIvAUS #CmonAussie pic.twitter.com/NhJpLeqY4U

— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) June 14, 2015"

At first glance it appears that Harris is most in the firing line. What happened in Sabina Park suggests a quandary a little more complicated. In both innings, Hazlewood and Starc were given the new ball. Hardly a ringing endorsement for Johnson.

During a commentary stint in the visitors' victory on Sunday, per Martin Smith and Sabina Park of Cricket.com.au, selector Mark Waugh confirmed that Johnson “is still the head of the Australian attack, but he's getting a lot of pressure from the younger guys, Hazlewood and Starc. They're bowling really well.”

He is yet to make his first-class debut in England, but Hazlewood's nagging line and length seem perfectly suited to the conditions he's likely to find this summer. Glenn McGrath comparisons may be a little premature, but he could pose a serious threat to Alastair Cook's side.

Mitchell Starc had pace, swing and control in the Caribbean and is a certainty for the first Ashes Test of the summer.

With 24 scalps, Ryan Harris was comfortably Australia's leading wicket-taker during their last tour of England in 2013.

And we've not even mentioned Peter Siddle, a man with 67 Ashes wickets to his name.

Something has to give. And inconceivable as it sounds, Mitchell Johnson could be the Colt Seavers of the Australia line-up.

It's not that he performed badly against the West Indies. Eight wickets at 18.62 is a fine return by most reckonings. It's just that he often didn't appear as threatening as either Starc or Hazlewood.

The pace was slightly down, albeit on sluggish surfaces, and the deadly late swing wasn't really in evidence.

Of course the psychological wounds Johnson inflicted on a fragile England side in the previous Ashes series are very much on the ledger's credit side.

The Australian brain trust will be picking with an eye on the future rather than the past if Mark Waugh is to be believed, though.

Quizzed on commentary in the Caribbean on whether form was more important than prior record, Waugh said, per The Australian, “I think it’s both, to be fair. I think form may be slightly more important. History depends how far you go back. There’s no point going back five years. I’d say recent history.”

Just how do you define recent history? You have to go back to February 2014 to find Johnson's last five-wicket Test haul, as noted by HowStat.com.

Given the packed schedule, bowling depth will likely come into play this summer. The ample resources Michael Clarke has at his disposal make the Aussies deserved favourites to retain the urn.

Starc, Hazlewood, Johnson, Harris, Siddle. Whatever the makeup of the Aussie attack, England are in for a tough examination. The fast-bowling scrap should certainly make the warm-up games against Kent and Essex a little spicier.