Keith Miller and that pace bowlers were in short supply, whereas spinners were plentiful. In the same season, Colin McCool, Ian Johnson, Bruce Dooland and George Tribe had all played in Tests as specialist spinners. Johnston ended the season with only 12 wickets at 33.16 from six matches. 1947–48 season Johnston practised his pace bowling with new vigour, and at the start of the 1947–48 season, the fruits of his labour provided immediate dividends. In the opening match of the season, he delivered an opening burst of 3/0 for Victoria against the touring Indian team, removing Vinoo Mankad, Khandu Rangnekar and leading batsman Vijay Hazare, all for ducks. He took three more wickets in the second innings, to end with a match total of 6/96, including Hazare for the second time. Johnston was then called into an Australian XI that played the Indians before the Tests, in what was effectively a dress rehearsal. Although the hosts lost, Johnston took 6/141, all of his victims being frontline batsmen. In the last outing before the Tests, Johnston took 3/40 and 5/37 to set up a nine-wicket win over New South Wales, including the wickets of Test openers Sid Barnes and Arthur Morris with the new ball at the start of the match. He was rewarded with selection for four of the five Tests against India, making his debut on a sticky wicket in the First Test in Brisbane. taking 2/17 as India fell for 58 in the first innings and 1/11 in the second as India fell for 98 following on, resulting in an innings defeat. Johnston's first Test wicket was Hemu Adhikari and he was not required to bat. He took match figures of 5/48 in the Second Test in a drawn match. He batted for the first time, and remained unbeaten without scoring as Australia collapsed to be all out for 107 on sticky wicket. It was the only time that they conceded a first innings lead in the series, and persistent rain forced a draw. The Third Test was Johnston's first Test in front of his home crowd of the Melbourne Cricket Ground. In the first innings, he scored his first runs at Test level, adding five before being run out. He removed both of India's openers, Chandu Sarwate and Mankad, and ended with 2/33 as Australia took a 103-run first innings lead. In the second innings, he did