Starc wants Johnson to stick around

It's only a matter of time until Australia have a new leader of their pace attack.

But Mitchell Starc hopes his mentor and namesake keeps bowling for a lot longer before retiring.

Mitchell Johnson pondered the end of his decorated international career after the Ashes but decided to play on.

Johnson was rested from the postponed tour of Bangladesh, allowing him to refocus mentally and rebuild physically.

It showed on day two of the first Test against New Zealand at the Gabba, where Johnson removed Ross Taylor and Brendon McCullum.

The 34-year-old now requires three more scalps to overtake Brett Lee on Australia's all-time list of wicket takers.

Some 48 more scalps and he will climb to third ahead of Dennis Lillee.

"Hopefully he can keep going for a lot longer," Starc said.

"He's the leader of the attack ... he's our enforcer.

"It's great to watch and great to be in the same team as him. It's not great to face him in the nets.

"He's bowling fantastically, bowling with great aggression, pace and bounce."

The same can be said of Starc, who dismissed Tom Latham and James Neesham in a collapse of 4-16.

The 25-year-old is unrecognisable to the lanky left-armer that debuted at the same venue against the same opposition in 2011.

He's also a different beast to the paceman that struggled for control at the Gabba last year, prompting national selectors to drop Starc from the Test side for an 11th time.

Starc's body language was labelled "soft" by Shane Warne in that match, when he wilted in the heat.

"It's a bit cooler," Starc laughed, when asked to compare the games.

"I take a bit of confidence from how I've gone the past 12 months, regardless of the colour of the ball.

"To bowl the way I did today, particularly after last year, was fantastic."

Starc paid tribute to the batsmen for piling on a total of 4-556 before Steve Smith declared.

"We were allowed to be aggressive ... they gave us that freedom with the ball to attack," he said.

"It's about creating that pressure with the ball. Even though it's a good wicket the odd one can still do a little bit and it's good pace and carry as well."