Mr Reliable A Perfect Fill-in

The Sunday Age

Sunday July 10, 2005

By CHLOE SALTAU, LONDON

THE fine finishing touches displayed by Mike Hussey in the one-day game have moved the West Australian to the verge of Test selection should injury strike any of Australia's batsmen during the Ashes series.

Hussey, who is not in the Test squad but heads into today's limited-overs game against England at Lord's boasting a tour average of 129, will remain in England to captain Durham when the one-day phase of the summer finishes this week and so would not be far from the team if a replacement batsman was needed.

He was initially kept out of the Test squad by Victoria's Brad Hodge who, the selectors suggested, was next in line to step into Australia's middle order on the strength of his years of heavy scoring in first-class cricket.

But Hussey, who has strengthened his case by saving Australia from embarrassment a number of times on this tour, appears to have become a trusted source of on-field advice for captain Ricky Ponting and, as a practised opener, is adaptable enough to bat anywhere in the order, a fact that was recognised when selectors asked him to remain in New Zealand as cover for the injured Matthew Hayden earlier this year.

"I'm not a selector but I would imagine he would have been one who was probably spoken about before the Test squad was announced," said Ponting after Hussey produced another clear-headed, top-scoring innings at Headingley, in conditions the more celebrated Australian batsmen found extremely treacherous. "He is going to be here for the whole summer and if we have a few injuries then I'm sure his name will be up near the top of the list."

Among Australia's worries with the Ashes only 11 days away is that its two in-form batsmen, Hussey and Andrew Symonds, are not in the Test squad. Former England captain Nasser Hussain yesterday said the selectors may have blundered by leaving Hussey out. In a newspaper column, Hussain described Hussey as Australia's "best player by a long way so far, and I can't believe he's not in the Test party. (The) Aussies have definitely made a mistake there."

Hussey has been dismissed only three times in his 13-match international career, during which he has seamlessly replaced the famed batting artist of the one-day game, Michael Bevan, since selectors stripped Bevan of his Cricket Australia contract more than a year ago with a pre-emptive glance to the 2007 World Cup.

After defining innings in Bristol and at Edgbaston and Lord's, as he followed the under-performing top order to the crease, the 30-year-old could still carve out the distinguished Test career Bevan could not sustain.

"Nearly every game on this tour he has been the man that has put his hand up and done the job," Ponting said.

"He has become very important for us. He was not out again (at Headingley), so his average has gone up again.

"He is an exceptional player confronted with any situation in a game. He has been in early on in a couple of games and he has been able to finish innings off for us as well. He's great in the field, too, so he's been vital to the little bit of success that we've had so far."

The Test hopes of Hodge and Hussey, initially at least, will probably depend on injury, for Michael Clarke is likely to be given another chance to rediscover the magic of his first few months of Test cricket before his place comes under serious question.

With the exception of his 80 against Bangladesh, Clarke has looked uncertain in his recent innings, but Ponting said he was not concerned about Clarke's form leading into his first Ashes series.

As a county veteran, Hussey has an insider's knowledge of the England bowlers - particularly Durham teammate Stephen Harmison.

"I'm not hoping for an injury but if an opportunity came up I would love to have my name up there for the selectors to choose," he said. "If an opportunity came to be involved in the Test team, that would be out of this world."

© 2005 The Sunday Age

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