Left-arm quick Johnson has become something of a figure of fun for England fans after several erratic performances against Australia´s arch-rivals where he had struggled to maintain a disciplined line and length.[break]
Indeed the now 31-year-old Johnson admitted the crowd barbs were getting to him during Australia´s last tour of England in 2009.
Johnson wasn´t selected for the Ashes leg of the current tour, where Australia lost a five-match Test series 3-0.
But he looked to be getting back to his best when taking an economical two wickets for 36 runs in 10 overs during Australia´s 88-run win against England in the second one-day international at Old Trafford on Sunday, a result that put the tourists 1-0 up in the five-match series following Friday´s washout in Leeds.
That didn´t stop Johnson being on the receiving end of a few more jeers.
Indeed the over in which he took his two wickets summed up much of his career, containing as it did three wides, a short ball that Michael Carberry obligingly hit straight to backward point and a vicious, steeply-rising, delivery that had Jonathan Trott caught behind for a duck
"Facing him in the nets and watching him over these last few games, his pace is right up," Voges told reporters at Edgbaston on Tuesday.
"He´s bowling fast, swinging the ball and making life for England´s top order tough work.
"I know there´s been a lot of talk about Mitch possibly playing in the (return Ashes) series. He´s doing everything right at the moment."
Turning to Johnson´s relationship with British cricket fans, the experienced Voges, who has played for three English counties including a spell with Middlesex this season, said: "The crowd don´t miss him, do they? Every opportunity they get, even when we were up in Scotland they didn´t miss him up there either.
"But I actually think he relishes it.
"He´s been outstanding. When you´re bowling 90mph-plus and swinging the ball, I think that´s a challenge for any batsman -- no matter who you are.
"If he can do that consistently throughout this series, then I hope that will go a long way towards us winning it."
Tuesday´s match will see Australia playing their first fixture in Birmingham since a disappointing Champions Trophy campaign overshadowed by the ban imposed on David Warner for punching England´s Joe Root in the city´s Walkabout Bar following a loss to arch-rivals England.
"We didn´t have quite the Champions Trophy campaign we would have liked to have -- particularly the game here against England, when we didn´t play well at all," said 33-year-old spin-bowling all-rounder Voges.
England have come under fire for resting five leading players from the one-day series, including captain Alastair Cook, batsman Ian Bell and striker bowler James Anderson, following their Ashes exertions.
"They´ve had a big summer, with the New Zealand series, Champions Trophy and then a full Ashes. You can understand it," Voges said.
"Playing a fair bit of county cricket, I know the guys who have come into this squad and I know they´re good players."
Related story
Australia will just have to accept ball-tampering taunts in Eng...
