While speaking about his recent exploits with the bat, Australian all-rounder Mitchell Johnson lets slip one of his dreams when, in his typical laid-back tone, he mumbles his wish to open the innings in one-dayers. And while the visitors would hardly be considering the left-arm biffer as a serious option at the top of the order, his comments did provide a telling contrast to the scenario in the rival camp.

While Ricky Ponting’s Australian squad is littered with new-ball bowlers who can bat — apart from Johnson, they have Shane Watson and James Hopes as well — India’s failed search for a quality pace all-rounder is well-documented. The two squads are a study in contrast, and with the likes of Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja in the mix for India, it wouldn’t be unfair to dub the seven-match series as a contest between pace and spin all-rounders.

So how do the Australians manage to improve one skill-set while not compromising on the other? Since early this year, when Johnson showed serious ability with the bat, the Australians have diligently worked on his batting — but coach Tim Nielsen insists they never forgot that his core competence was bowling. “His batting has been a real bonus for us but first and foremost he is our frontline bowler. A lot of time and effort has gone into his bowling but given half a chance, we find time to focus on his batting, using sessions where he doesn’t bowl to give him extra batting practice.

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