Sachin Tendulkar backs Mitchell Johnson to fire in Ashes

Sydney: Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar has picked out Australian paceman Mitchell Johnson to have an impact during the winter Ashes series.

Tendulkar, who made his farewell to the game in the second Test against the West Indies in Mumbai, made special note of Johnson's bowling and the impact it could have this winter in the return series.

According to News.com.au, Johnson was not very successful against the Little Master in their Test duels, with the left-armer picking up Tendulkar's wicket only three times in 11 Tests at an average of over 60.

However, that did not dissuade Tendulkar from predicting that the Western Australia quick could be a serious threat to England's Ashes defence, with the former Test player saying that although Australia will want to bounce back and prove England wrong, the Test series are going to be interesting given the way Johnson bowled in ODIs in India.

The 200-Test veteran is a fair judge, having faced the best fast bowlers in world cricket over the past two decades, the report added.