Johnson raring to attack Black Caps

Mitchell Johnson has been impressing his teammates in the build-up to the first test. Photo / Getty

It may be gamesmanship, perish the thought, but Australia are talking up veteran speedster Mitchell Johnson ahead of the start of the first test against New Zealand tomorrow.

Johnson was below his best in the Ashes series in England this year and yesterday was reported to be grumpy at facilities in the Gabba nets.

The runup area was not long enough for the 34-year-old, so he went off to the National Cricket Centre across the other side of Brisbane, with Australian bowling coach Craig McDermott.

Johnson was unimpressed, and preparing for his 72nd test, has been working up real pace, at least according to one of his team mates.

Allrounder Mitchell Marsh was in the Western Australian team alongside Johnson when they played a Sheffield Shield game, with a pink ball, in Hobart last week. Johnson took five for 100 in the match and Marsh was impressed.

''Some of those spells down in Hobart he was pushing 150kph for sure," Marsh said. ''By far the quickest bowling I've seen on the field and I've played with Johnno over the last 18 months.

''I don't know if it was the pink ball but he bowled a couple of overs that were rapid. He's looking really good."

Marsh quipped that Johnson ''turned 34 yesterday and he's getting old and grumpy".
He also joined in the twitter debate yesterday about the ''polite" New Zealand team with a dig of his own at their reputation.

But with 306 test wickets at a highly respectable average of 27, Johnson has the game to be a key figure in the three-test rubber.

And a pacy, bouncy Gabba pitch might just be the stage for the strongly-built left armer to make an early summer statement.