TOMORROW'S first one-day international between Australia and SA in Perth might not be won and lost on the field.
Instead, Mitchell Johnson said yesterday, the Waca's nets could be the clash's key site.
"These wickets down here are almost dangerous," Johnson said of the practice pitches.
"I think they are the most difficult wickets to play on, and if you can challenge the batsmen there they are going to get a good contest. When they get out to the middle, it's a little bit easier."
SA won two of their three ODIs against Australia in a triangular tournament in Harare in August and September, including the final. But Johnson warned against expecting that trend to continue.
"We're going to see a different type of game. In Zimbabwe, the wickets were quite low and slow."
Johnson, though, anticipated a resumption of hostilities.
"There's always tension between the two sides," he said. "In the end, we're going to play them on skill - that's what we're about. We want to beat them with bat and ball.
"Whatever else happens, it happens out in the middle. It's probably going to be fiery again.
"Both teams don't like to lose. I think that's where we see the fire in the game. They've got some of the best players in the world and we've got a couple ourselves. We're just really competitive natured."
On the other side of a very barbed wire fence, Faf du Plessis agreed: "We like to get into each other's faces. That's just the way we play our cricket.
"It's aggressive and competitive, but when you step off the field ... I had a great time after the series in Zimbabwe after we beat them in the final when we sat afterwards and had a beer together. There was a lot of respect between the two teams.
"We want to do anything to win the game and they are the same."
Fuse is lit for ODI series in Oz
TOMORROW'S first one-day international between Australia and SA in Perth might not be won and lost on the field.
Instead, Mitchell Johnson said yesterday, the Waca's nets could be the clash's key site.
"These wickets down here are almost dangerous," Johnson said of the practice pitches.
"I think they are the most difficult wickets to play on, and if you can challenge the batsmen there they are going to get a good contest. When they get out to the middle, it's a little bit easier."
SA won two of their three ODIs against Australia in a triangular tournament in Harare in August and September, including the final. But Johnson warned against expecting that trend to continue.
"We're going to see a different type of game. In Zimbabwe, the wickets were quite low and slow."
Johnson, though, anticipated a resumption of hostilities.
"There's always tension between the two sides," he said. "In the end, we're going to play them on skill - that's what we're about. We want to beat them with bat and ball.
"Whatever else happens, it happens out in the middle. It's probably going to be fiery again.
"Both teams don't like to lose. I think that's where we see the fire in the game. They've got some of the best players in the world and we've got a couple ourselves. We're just really competitive natured."
On the other side of a very barbed wire fence, Faf du Plessis agreed: "We like to get into each other's faces. That's just the way we play our cricket.
"It's aggressive and competitive, but when you step off the field ... I had a great time after the series in Zimbabwe after we beat them in the final when we sat afterwards and had a beer together. There was a lot of respect between the two teams.
"We want to do anything to win the game and they are the same."
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