Relaxed Cook keen to prove his doubters wrong

Cook captained his country on their last overseas tour to Bangladesh but found his place at the top of the order called into question this summer after a run of poor scores against Pakistan.

Ponting, always keen to pile pressure on opposition batsmen he perceives as vulnerable, has already said Cook and Kevin Pietersen will be high on his bowlers' hit list.

But when the doubts over his place were at their most intense, Cook responded with a century in the fourth Test at the Brit Oval and is now happy with his game.

"Whenever you have a string of low scores (you worry). Your job is to score runs so when you're not doing that it puts the pressure on," he said.

"Everyone in the media was calling on me not to be in the side so to score runs under that pressure, when I needed it most and delivered, was good.

"All of us will have to do that in Australia.

"Everyone can have their say but we're focused on what we do. I did struggle for a couple of matches against Pakistan but in the last 12 months I've scored four Test hundreds – three in the last eight games – and hopefully I can go out there and prove a few of them wrong."

Cook was in the touring side thrashed 5-0 in Australia four years ago but believes the balance of the current squad, combined with a lengthier build-up to the main event, will yield a different result this time.

"As a side we're in a better place, we're stable and coming off a good 18 months where we've played some great cricket. The confidence is running throughout the side and everyone is very trusting of everyone else in the squad."

Australia fast bowler Mitchell Johnson, meanwhile, is determined to get his mental preparation right for the series after his horror time in England last year.

Johnson, 29 next week, has previously admitted he was mentally distracted during the 2009 series, saying he built it up too much in his head and subsequently failed to find his best form as England won their second consecutive series at home.

The end result was that Johnson was nowhere near the force he had been over the previous 12 months as he took 33 wickets across six Tests against South Africa at 25.44

He still managed 20 English scalps at a respectable 32.55, but his lack of control at times meant Ponting was sometimes reluctant to hand him the ball.

"Over there I definitely built it up in my mind," said Johnson.

"It was a huge deal for me, like any young guy coming through.

"But look, I think I've learned that lesson now and I've experienced that and now I've adjusted to the pressures of, I guess, being a leader of the attack as well.

"So I'm looking forward to this series, it's something I'm very excited about."