Mumbai: Mitchell Johnson is full of confidence now. He's even talking about opening in one-day internationals. Johnson struggled during large parts of the Ashes. He was leading the pack of fast bowlers but his performance left much to be desired.

Nurtured and well-supported by the team think-tank during the tough times, Johnson has grown stronger after the Ashes. A fairytale start, the lacklustre Ashes show and now resurgence in form and confidence, Johnson, the ICC Cricketer of the Year, has learnt to take the rough with the smooth.

"A tour of India is always exciting and challenging. The conditions here are different and the weather makes it tougher. You get to face the biggest players in their own backyard. We are looking forward to the contest," Johnson said on Thursday.

Playing against the big names is something Johnson enjoys. "It provides for some great competition when you play India. It is always nice to take the wickets of big players like Sehwag, Tendulkar and Yuvraj. It always a challenge to bowl to Tendulkar and you can get him only on your day," Johnson added.

When Australia went to South Africa in 2008, Johnson was merciless. He broke skipper Graeme Smith's hand and left a gash on Jacques Kallis's chin.

"It's not that I like to hurt the batsmen. It is nice to intimidate batters. Smith getting injured was a handy thing as far as we were concerned," Johnson said with a mischievous smile.

However, Australia's loss to England in the Ashes saw him being one of the players slammed by critics. "It was extremely hard especially at Lord's. I was thinking about front-arm and wrist positions but not line. Ricky supported me and asked me to play my natural game and keep things simple. It was disappointing but it was a learning curve."

Johnson said he enjoyed batting but never took it seriously. "I have always enjoyed batting but was never serious about it and never had the time to think about it. The century against India boosted my confidence. I am also ready to open in one-dayers," he added.

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