Johnson asks Hobart locals for advice

The local knowledge of the Australia squad's two Tasmanians will be tapped by Mitchell Johnson as he looks to build on his impressive debut. Johnson has risen swiftly to international honours - the Brisbane Test was his 23rd first-class game - and his experience at Bellerive Oval is limited to a handful of domestic contests for Queensland.

Fortunately Ricky Ponting will be on hand to offer advice in the lead-up to Friday's second Test and Ben Hilfenhaus, the swing bowler, is also in the squad. "He's a good one to speak too, playing there all the time, so I'll have a chat with him," Johnson said as he prepared to leave Brisbane. "The bowling group will also probably get together and ask him a few questions."

The ball did not swing when Ponting played a Pura Cup match there two weeks ago, but there is hope from the fast men of obtaining some reverse late in the innings. Johnson remembers getting early movement in the air and off the surface, which will be analysed closely over the next couple of days.

Bellerive Oval has regularly been referred to as a "road" over the past decade, but the production of the pitch has changed since the curator Cameron Hodgkins took over. Following discussions with the Tasmania team management, Hodgkins began cultivating surfaces that did not result in regular bowling mutilation and they helped the Tigers record enough outright victories to host - and win - the 2006-07 Pura Cup final.

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