Mitchell Johnson focuses on speed

Mitchell Johnson is currently so obsessed by the Ashes that when he is bowling at Australians in the nets he is seeing English batsmen. "So when Shane Watson came in I was thinking of a Kevin Pietersen-type," he said. "But I didn't bounce him!"

Johnson is desperate to move on from his awful Ashes campaign in 2009 and is altering his vision to turn his dreams into reality at the Gabba from Thursday. He had a strong work-out in Brisbane on Tuesday using an unconventional approach.

"I was trying to bowl the length I want to bowl, particularly to their top order," he said. "Every batter who came in I was thinking of English batters.

"I'm thinking about [the series] all the time. I've come off a pretty good couple of weeks and I'm raring to get out there and bowl fast."

In this series he will not worry if he doesn't swing the ball and will instead focus on speed. He has already said he will target Andrew Strauss with short deliveries, but he has almost given up on being the all-round bowler who dominated South Africa two summers ago. On that tour he moved the ball into the right handers, angled it away and roughed up Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis and Co with his bouncers as well.

"I went through a stage where I thought I could try to work on swinging the ball," he said. "I can do it on a short run in the nets. It's different to come in off the long run. I'm happy with where I am with my bowling - running in, bowling fast."

In the Ashes contest four years ago Johnson was 12th man for the entire series, but having experienced the build-up and the pressure of the 2009 campaign he is feeling more settled this time. "It's about harnessing that energy until Thursday," he said. "I came out of South Africa [in 2009] bowling really well and I thought it was just going to happen throughout the last Ashes. This time I've really worked hard."

Like most of the Australians, he has played down the side's recent losing streak of seven games in a row in all forms, and he thought there were good signs in the 2-0 defeat in India. He also believes that while the home team has been under scrutiny, it is England who will face more heat.

"We talk about the pressure on us, but there's a lot of pressure on them," Johnson said. "Last time they were beaten 5-0, now they're holding the urn, so there's a lot of pressure of them to perform and eyes on them."