Australian fast man Brett Lee is bemused by talk he might have been under pressure to hold his spot after the first Ashes Test in Brisbane, and believes a repeat of his Gabba efforts will result in wickets on Adelaide's unforgiving surface.
At the end of a year in which Lee gave sterling service as the spearhead of the attack, one quiet game had some suggesting that he was the most obvious candidate to drop out if the selectors wanted to make room for spinner Stuart MacGill or Adelaide native Shaun Tait.
"It's exactly why I don't read the papers mate," Lee told AAP with a wry smile.
"I don't take any notice of that, I know that I'm really happy with my form at the moment and coming off the best years of my life as far as cricket goes.
"I got 43 not out batting, a couple of key wickets, a couple of dropped catches, it happens, but (I'm) really really happy with how it's going and hoping for a bag of wickets down here."
Lee was bereft of new ball swing or consistently high pace in Brisbane, troubled as he was by foothold issues, in addition to a gash above his left knee via Mike Hussey's boot spikes.
"That's all part and parcel of Test cricket when you don't quite feel comfortable at the crease, but I was happy with the way I was landing, I just found my momentum wasn't quite there, just couldn't get through the crease," he said.
"I'm not going to make excuses about anything, it's just one of those games where the wickets didn't come, but the most important thing is that if you're happy with the whole process it's a matter of staying positive and converting that energy into wickets."
Adelaide has not been the happiest of grounds for Lee, who despite his avowed love for the venue has never taken five wickets in an innings there.
"Down here patience is definitely going to be the key, you've got to realise it's a five day Test match, be nice and patient, and making sure that me in particular and the rest of our bowlers are hitting the right lines and lengths," he said.
"It's not really a surface that suits fast bowlers but it's a great place to play cricket."
Glenn McGrath and Stuart Clark dismissed Andrew Strauss at the Gabba, and Lee stressed the England vice captain's wicket was among the most important to take.
"We'll be doing everything we possibly can to try to keep his scores down but he's a class player, I know in that particular Test match he didn't fire but his stats prove it," he said.
"The reason his average is so high is that if he misses out one week he will capitalise on the next chance he gets, so we'll try anything in our power to make sure he doesn't."
Meanwhile, McGrath spent extended time batting in the nets on Wednesday, first against the quicks and then taking throwdowns, but did not bowl.
He later walked out to the centre of the oval for a spot of fielding but left the ground without once rolling his arm over, and is yet to prove his left heel has sufficiently recovered from the bruising that curtailed him in the second innings in Brisbane.
Team physio Alex Kountouris, chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch and captain Ricky Ponting are all likely to be on hand to watch him bowl at Australia's final training on Thursday.
Batsman Matthew Hayden said he was in little doubt that 36-year-old McGrath would take his place in the XI on Friday.
"He's in good spirit, Glenn has got a few days to recover as well," Hayden said.
"We're certain of the fact he's going to be playing a huge part in this Test match."
Regardless of his fitness, the Australians walk far taller when McGrath plays, and both their losses in the 2005 Ashes series came when injuries kept him out of the side.