As with his opening partner Matthew Hayden, it seems incredible to think Justin Langer was ever anything other than a certain starter for Australia.

But he has been forced to fight hard to establish himself. His first eight caps took six years to accrue as he was used first as an opener and then earmarked as David Boon's replacement at number three.

But he is now a member of one of the most successful and destructive opening partnerships the game has ever known - Hayden and Langer have a world-record six double-century stands - and has reinvented his own game to boot.

Once seen as the stodgy blocker in a team of strokemakers, Langer is now far more fluent, with pulls and hooks over midwicket joining his traditional favourites of cuts and drives.

Steve Waugh dubbed Langer the best batsman in the world after the little opener made 122 in Auckland in 1999/2000.

But Langer is a batsman who has perhaps never been given his dues in a career that has brought 22 Test centuries and over 7,000 runs at an average in the mid-40s.

Langer is still aggrieved to have played only eight ODIs despite boasting a strike rate of 88.88 that highlights his ability to score quickly.

He was Australia's leading runscorer in the 2005 Ashes series despite taking a series of painful blows on the body from Steve Harmison.

Indeed, body blows have been a feature of the tenacious opening batsman's career.

Injuries delayed the arrival of Langer's 100th Test, and when it did come he was soon being rushed to hospital after ducking into a Makhaya Ntini bouncer.

Langer spent the rest of his landmark Test watching from the balconies with a concussion and contemplating retirement.

But he decided to shelve those plans in favour of fighting to regain possession of the urn. And fight he will.