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Taming Mitchell Johnson key for England in Ashes campaign, Joe Root believes

Englishman sees putting Australian pacemen under pressure as vital in bid to regain edge on arch rivals

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Joe Root takes a catch in training. Photo: Reuters

Joe Root is confident England's latest collapse against an Australia pace attack led by Mitchell Johnson will not still haunt them in the third Ashes test starting today at Edgbaston.

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Left-arm fast bowler Johnson took 37 wickets at 14 apiece as Australia thrashed England 5-0 on home soil to regain the Ashes in 2013-14.

Johnson, however, was mocked by England fans while going wicketless during the first innings of Australia's 169-run defeat in Cardiff in the opening match of this Ashes campaign.

Australia's Mitchell Johnson bowls during a training session at Edgbaston. Photo: Reuters
Australia's Mitchell Johnson bowls during a training session at Edgbaston. Photo: Reuters

It was a very different story in the second test at Lord's, where Johnson had match figures of six for 80 during Australia's crushing 405-run win that levelled the five-match series at 1-1.

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England captain Alastair Cook may be in better form than Australia counterpart Michael Clarke, but that counted for little as the hosts, with Johnson taking three cheap wickets, slumped to a humiliating 103 all out in their second innings.

But a defiant Root said of Johnson: "It's wrong to single one man out. You look at Cardiff and he only got two expensive wickets, so it's about putting him under pressure."

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