Brett Lee is confident his electric pace will be running hot in Adelaide this weekend despite admitting his form slipped in the Brisbane Test.
Lee is one of five fast bowlers, including fringe dwellers Mitchell Johnson and Shaun Tait, chosen in Australia's unchanged 13-man squad for Friday's second Ashes Test in Adelaide.
The selectors have kept an expanded squad to cover for Glenn McGrath's sore heel and the slight prospect that Australia will play four fast bowlers.
However it is still likely the side that thrashed England in Brisbane will be retained.
Lee had match figures of 2-149 in the Brisbane Test, claiming the key dismissals of Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff, but occasionally lost pace as his front foot slipped at the bowling crease.
"I just didn't feel comfortable at the crease," Lee said.
"On that surface I found it hard to get some grip. That was purely the fact it was such a hard wicket, it was a crumbly surface. I just found it hard to get momentum through the crease.
"I was happy with the way the ball came out but it is frustrating at times the way you lose 10-15km/h in pace because I can't get over my front foot. I was happy with the two key wickets I got and I got a couple of balls around 155.8km/h.
"It's no big deal, but I just didn't feel as if I had the total 100 per cent confidence at the crease.
"You have guys like Glenn McGrath and Stuart Clark who we reckon could bowl on ice without spikes. They hit the crease with a high action. I'm a skidder."
"I thought I bowled really well," Lee said. "Unfortunately sometimes catches don't come to hand. I think I had 40-50 runs go through slips or over point. Sometimes you don't get the returns for the hard work you have put in. I'm hoping for a big bag in Adelaide."
Australian fast bowling coach Troy Cooley has tipped Lee will roar back as a major strike force in the second Test.
"His figures were not as flattering as he'd have liked, but I thought he did a fantastic job," Cooley said.
"I don't think he's very far off the mark. He's had a few things going on in his life, and I wouldn't be surprised if he comes out and has a great Test match in Adelaide."
Leg-spinner Stuart MacGill was again left out because Australia had no in-form all-rounder to go in with him, as a medium pace option, after Shane Watson withdrew on Monday with a strained hamstring.
Chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch said Australia would give consideration to playing two spinners at other venues this summer but MacGill may be squeezed out of the frame until the final Test in Sydney.
It came as a surprise that Australia named an expanded squad but coach John Buchanan said the lessons of last year's Ashes loss remained in the forefront of the minds of himself, captain Ricky Ponting and the selectors.
"We have tried to learn from the lessons of that series when we won the first Test and lost the series," Buchanan said.
"After we won the first Test we were very happy with the win but we never really looked at how we played. So we have decided to have a good look at it this time and see whether there are any areas in which we can improve."
Australia had a deliberately low-key celebration in Brisbane on Monday before flying to Adelaide yesterday.
"The point was made it was just a start, there are still four Test matches to go," batsman Mike Hussey said.
"I think England can bounce back, the conditions in Adelaide might suit them a little bit more than the pace and the bounce in Brisbane."
- ROBERT CRADDOCK and BEN DORRIES