Retiring Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson says he was mentally worn out from the rigours of long days in the field and has no doubt he made the right call to retire, declaring he only ever wanted to bowl fast.
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As he thanked everyone who had helped him morph into Australia's fourth-highest Test wicket-taker, Johnson said he had a "little tear" in his eye when he was carried from the field by fellow fast bowlers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.
Johnson's final day of Test cricket culminated in a draw against New Zealand before a relatively empty WACA, after the Caps had felt Steve Smith's declaration was a "bridge too far" to successfully pursue a run chase.
"I'm really happy with my decision and I just lost that hunger in the end to play out on those tough days – that's where my decision came," Johnson said.
"And that was something I used to really enjoy about Test cricket – the challenge of those really difficult days out there and I just wasn't enjoying it."
"It's something I've been thinking about for a year now to be honest, on and off. I guess after the World Cup I thought that was a good time to go out of one-day cricket.
"But with new guys in the team, I thought also I could help being a senior player and give some advice, but I just felt like I couldn't compete at this level anymore. I just lost that hunger."
Johnson, 34, claimed two second-innings wickets and was mobbed by teammates in their last opportunity to enjoy an afternoon with a man who once was the most feared quick in world cricket.
"It was more mental to be honest. Physically, like I have always said, you have your niggles here and there you and find ways to get through," Johnson said.
"It's a little bit physical. The body is pretty sore but it was more just the mental side of things and I just had enough and felt like I couldn't be the best I could for this team and I didn't want to continue on at the standard that wasn't good enough."
Flanked by Jessica, his manager and teammates Mitch Starc, Nathan Lyon and Smith, Johnson said the death of teammate Phil Hughes last year had weighed on his mind for a long time.
"Definitely a part of me struggled after Phillip's death and probably affected me for a long time and probably still does," he said.
"But the final decision was more just the hunger and those tough days.”