Mitchell Johnson played a brutal innings against India at the Gabba. Picture: Adam Head. Source: News Corp Australia

For the second summer in a row, Johnson’s brilliantly underrated batting saved Australia’s bacon in Brisbane.

After Marsh and Brad Haddin fell cheaply, Johnson came to the crease at 6-247, with Australia were well and truly on the ropes against India on day three.

AS IT HAPPENED: SECOND TEST, DAY THREE

SMITH JOINS EXALTED COMPANY WITH TON

Mitchell Johnson plays a shot on day three of the second Test against India at the Gabba. Source: Getty Images

Collapsing for anything less than 350 would have left them at perilous risk of losing their first Test at the Gabba since 1988.

But Johnson’s ground-record seventh wicket partnership of 148 alongside captain Steve Smith not only saved the match but turned it in the home side’s favour.

Thanks to Johnson’s free-swinging injection, Australia more than doubled their score from when the sixth wicket fell to when they passed 500 to take an unforseen 97-run lead.

Shane Watson has now gone a year without a test century but Queensland captain James Hopes believes a big score is just around the corner for the all-rounder.

India’s tactic of trying to get in Johnson’s ear backfired spectacularly as the big left-hander responded by blasting some of the best pull shots of the match, and was also just as brutal down the ground and clinical through the off-side, smashing 13 fours and a six.

Johnson’s stunning 88 off 93 balls deserved a hundred but no milestone was needed to verify its worth to the Australian side.

“They tried to be quite aggressive with him from ball one, bowling short and getting stuck into him and that played into his favour,” said Smith.

“I think Mitch and Rohit Sharma were having a bit of banter.

Mitchell Johnson belted 88 runs against India on Friday. Picture: Adam Head. Source: News Corp Australia

“Mitch took them on and they didn’t really have an answer to him to be honest.”

And it’s far from the first time his batting has stood up to be counted.

Last year against England, Johnson trudged out to the middle at 6-132.

Fresh from an Ashes flogging in the UK, Australia’s batting was in crisis on day one of the return series.

But in the partnership that would prove the catalyst for Australia rising from the basement to the penthouse, Johnson grinded out 64 off 134 balls in an inspiring 114-run stand with Haddin.

On the 2009 tour of South Africa, Johnson hammered a 96 not out in Johannesburg – one of 10 career 50s - and a maiden hundred in Cape Town.

Mitchell Johnson celebrates bringing up his hundred against South Africa in 2009. Source: News Corp Australia

Johnson is rapidly approaching the rare 300-wicket mark in Test cricket, but the untold statistic is that he’s also closing in on 2000 runs.

At the moment Shane Warne and Richie Benaud are the only two names out-pointing him on a list of Australians to have taken 200 wickets and 1000 runs.

Johnson’s batting average is modest at 23 but his standing as Australia’s premier all-rounder heading into next year’s Ashes is justified by his track record of scoring valuable runs when they are needed most.

A mark of Johnson’s talents is that even during the period when his bowling went off the boil, he still contributed with the blade.

Johnson hits the ball as cleanly as just about anyone in world cricket. Source: News Corp Australia

Selectors seem comfortable with the almost unprecedented scenario of having two all-rounders in the top six – Watson and Marsh.

Watson has been a reliable contributor, Marsh is a future star, but as it stands, Johnson is still the unofficial go-to all-rounder in the Australian side.

He hasn’t yet proven the same destructive force with the ball this series as he was last summer when he opened up against England at the Gabba with nine wickets.

But history shows runs from Johnson often translates into wickets, and India face a stern task on Saturday.