Australia in India 2008-09

India warm-up not ideal - Johnson

Cricinfo staff

August 28, 2008

	Mitchell Johnson is keen to have more time in India to prepare for October's Test series © Getty Images

Mitchell Johnson says having only one warm-up game in India before October's Test series is not ideal for Australia, who are still hoping another tour match can be arranged. The postponement of the Champions Trophy has left Australia with limited cricket scheduled before the first Test starts in Bangalore on October 9.

The Daily Telegraph reported that the BCCI was reluctant to organise a second warm-up game because it would mean rearranging India's domestic cricket schedule. However, Cricket Australia has not formally requested an extra match and Johnson said the players would definitely welcome more time to acclimatise.

"It's probably not ideal [to have only one game]," Johnson told AAP. "We probably want a few more games before that, but that's the way it is.

"We've got one game before so we'll have to go back to our states and work pretty hard and try to do the best we can there to prepare as well as we can for India. It's always hard to prepare for India, which has such different conditions than here, so it is going to be tough. I think we will manage."

Johnson will likely be a key part of Australia's attack for the Test tour, having bowled superbly during last year's one-day series in India. He said it would be a major step up to transfer that success to the five-day format.

"Playing one-day cricket there I know how hard it is," he said. "But to play Test cricket, with the wickets and playing five-day cricket, it's going to be extremely hard, but it's a challenge I'm looking forward to."

The gap in the calendar created by the Champions Trophy postponement means Australia have no international cricket between the three-match one-day series against Bangladesh, which starts on Saturday, and the India tour. Johnson warmed up for the Bangladesh games with 3 for 5 against the Australian Institute of Sports in Darwin on Thursday.

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