Aussies practising with SG balls for India tour, says pacer Mitchel Johnson

Pacer Johnson reveals Australia have started practising with SG balls to prepare for the two-test series in India

Pacer Johnson reveals Australia have started practising with SG balls to prepare for the two-test series in India

If there's been a consistent aspect in Australian skipper Ricky Ponting's recent utterances before his team's tour of India and the Ashes to follow, it is that he believes in going into every Test ufffd no matter where - with the singular objective of winning.

This resolve was echoed yesterday by his trump pace bowler Mitchell Johnson who revealed that he and his fellow quicks have already started bowling at home with Indian-made SG balls which will be used in the two-Test series to be played at Chandigarh and Bangalore.

Readyu00a0to strike: Australia pacer Mitchell Johnson

Typically, Australia will be endeavouring to dominate India in a bid to climb up from the low fourth position they now occupy in the ICC Test rankings behind India, who barely managed to remain on top after the recent closely-fought series against Sri Lanka in Serendip.

For some time now, Australian captains have admitted that winning in India comes not so much from a master plan but from performing a series of small essentials well.

First step
Johnson is quoted by a Sydney newspaper as saying: "Practising with SG balls is the first step for us.
"The seams sit up a little bit more (than that of the Australian (Kookaburra) balls and are a bit narrower. The SG balls are also a lot harder.

"Obviously our wickets don't rough up the balls as their wickets do in India. There the ball can reverse after 10 overs. It is always a challenge playing in those conditions. I always look forward to it no matter how hard it is."
A disappointment on the recent tour of England where he took just three wickets for 72 in conditions which helped seam bowling, Johnson is determined to do well in India.
"I just wasn't there physically and mentally," he admitted. "But with the Ashe coming up, India will be a good challenge".

He considers the induction of former South African coach Mickey Arthur as coach of Western Australia, his home team, a boon. Under Arthur's tutelage, South African pace bowlers have consistently given India's distinguished batting line-up a torrid time on home soil.