Australia bank on pace to conquer India

CHENNAI: Australia's five-man specialist pace pack might be short on experience of bowling in Indian conditions, but senior left-arm quick Mitchell Johnson expressed confidence that the sheer variety in the pace attack will more than compensate for it.
"The bunch that we have is pretty exciting," Johnson said on Tuesday. "Obviously we cannot compare them to the guys who toured previously," said Johnson who has played six Tests in India spread over two tours - in 2008 and two years later.
With all-rounder Shane Watson to play exclusively as a batsman, the only other quick in the specialist five-man pace attack with Test experience in India is Peter Siddle, who made his debut on the 2008 tour.
Skipper Michael Clarke told a media conference that Australia would back their strengths in the four-Test series and "our strength for long has been fast bowling," although there was speculation in Australian media whether the tourists would go in with two quicks and two spinners in the first Test in Chennai.
"Obviously the conditions in India are not conducive to pace bowling, but it is about assessing the conditions. Indian wickets offer variations in bounce... and reverse swing is going to be important," said Clarke.
The different skills sets that the bowlers carry individually makes the attack incisive, said 31-year-old Johnson.
"I'm confident of being able to do what I have done. Siddle knows his game well and having his experience on this tour is good. Hopefully Siddle and I can carry this bunch through.
"In India variations work, change of pace, clever use of the short ball... It does come down to conditions, so we've got to see what can be done."
Left-arm seamer Mitchell Starc, James Pattinson and Jackson Bird -exciting young talents all but relatively inexperienced - are the remaining specialist quicks on the tour with uncapped all-rounder Moises Henriques as a support seamer.
"Mitch (Johnson) is bowling really fast at the moment, breaking thumbs. Siddle is someone who can hold up one end and insert some energy. Hopefully I can get the ball to move around like I have been doing this summer," said Starc, who has some experience of bowling in Indian conditions.
"So we all offer a lot and hopefully we can bowl them out and get 20 wickets in every Test," he added.