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Aussie quicks to hone in on McLaren

Johnson warns Proteas allrounder to expect short balls

Mitchell Johnson says South Africa allrounder Ryan McLaren better be ready to cop some bouncers whenever he comes up against Australia.

The only good news for McLaren is that the leader of Australia's attack may not be the man delivering the short stuff in the final three matches of this Carlton Mid ODI series.

McLaren was dismissed for a duck in the first ODI in Perth last night, caught behind after he failed to evade a bouncer from man-of-the-match Nathan Coulter-Nile.

Quick Single: Coulter-Nile leads Aussies to victory

The dismissal was further evidence of McLaren's struggles against the short ball.

Johnson has twice put the 31-year-old in hospital this year; once with concussion after he was struck on the helmet during the first Test at Centurion in February, and then with a broken arm during the ODI tri-series in Zimbabwe in September.

Johnson says the Aussies will continue their short-ball approach against McLaren, but the left-armer also hinted that he may rested following the second match of the series at the WACA Ground tomorrow.

Speaking on Triple M's Dead Set Legends, Johnson suggested that he may miss the rest of the series to prepare for the Commonwealth Bank Test series against India, and the Cricket World Cup next year.  

"It's looking that way at the moment," Johnson said when asked if he would stay in Perth with his family after tomorrow's match.

"The thing that I guess I've learned over time, I'm 33 now and played a lot of one-day games for my country, which has been a great honour, and Test matches as well.

"With what we've got coming up ... it's a lot of cricket.

"So for me to be at my best and bowling fast, I need to be as fresh as possible.

"It's hard; I want to play every game I can for my country, but at the same time I want to be playing at my best so whatever the selectors and CA (Cricket Australia) want me to do, I'll go by them.

"I've got to put some trust in them as well and that's what I'll do."

Johnson didn't get a chance to resume hostilities with McLaren on Friday night, with the South African dismissed from just the second ball he faced.

But the ICC's Cricketer of the Year is in no doubt that the short balls will keep coming whenever McLaren walks to the crease.

"Obviously with him at the moment he's struggled with the shorter ball and that's something that we'll keep doing," Johnson said.

"You've got to play to those guys' weaknesses and they're a good side, so whatever opportunities we get we've got to go with it.

"You do notice a bit of a change in the guys' faces when the ball is whistling through.

"But that's part of fast bowling and I get it back as well.

"So I just have to make sure that when I get my chance to bowl I'm giving it to them as well.

"Because being a tail ender we tend to get a few bouncers; they've got some pretty quick guys in their team.

"Morne Morkel doesn't mind bowling a few short ones at me so you've got to give them back when you can."