Johnson's absence from SCG Test to be test for Oz squad

Australian pace spearhead Mitchell Johnson's minor hamstring strain might not have kept the fast bowler out of the fourth and final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground had the World Cup not been just round the corner.

Although Johnson's absence from the final match of the series is no cause for alarm, as Australia already has won the series two-nil with a match drawn, it comes up as a test for the squad if they can cope without their number one strike weapon in case of a World Cup or Ashes emergency.

Johnson has gone from strength to strength since he decimated England in the first Test at the Gabba last summer, becoming Australia's most indispensable cricketer and has not missed a single Test until now, the Daily Telegraph reported.

The Australian media has claimed that the ongoing series against India hasn't been Johnson's best, 13 wickets at 35, but he is still unquestionably the key force behind Australia's World Cup and Ashes bids this year.

Johnson stands tall in the Australian team, delivering express knockers at 150 kilometers-per-hour, but without him in the line-up, it is quite different. And the Sydney showdown against India is a crucial test of character for the Australian side, the report added.