Trying to do well every single day

Published : Oct 11, 2008 00:00 IST

K. RAMESH BABU
K. RAMESH BABU
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K. RAMESH BABU

Mike Hussey made his Australian debut rather late, when he was 31. But he has certainly made up for the lost time and is raring to go in the series against India. Here he chats with V. V. Subrahmanyam.

Michael Hussey’s attitude defies his age. At 33, his youthful exuberance and unbridled desire to be in the thick of action might put in shade the younger players of his team. That this prolific Australian batsman is keen to script a memorable chapter in India should be a warning for the bowlers here.

“My aim is to just go out there and score as many runs as possible. The way I will play will depend on the situation,” Hussey told Sportstar in an interview during his stay in Hyderabad for the match against the Board President’s XI.

For someone who set a record of sorts, scoring 15,000 first-class runs before earning the baggy green cap for Australia, Hussey said that the biggest challenge in India will be to face Indian captain and leg-spinner Anil Kumble and off-spinner Harbhajan Singh.

“But at the same time it doesn’t mean that the focus will be only on these two — for we often lose wickets to the quickies also,” he remarked. With an impressive average of 68.38 in 25 Tests with eight centuries, Hussey is keen to extend his dream run at the highest level.

“I have always enjoyed playing for the country like anyone else,” he said. “I approach every day as my last day for Australia. I try to play as well as I can. I know that Indian conditions are the most challenging for any cricketer for a variety of reasons.”

The Western Australian, who made his Test debut at 31, said fortunately age is not a criterion back home. “What matters is how well and how consistently you perform. I am happy with the way things are going,” he said.

However, he does feel disappointed about his poor run in the 2007 World Cup — 87 runs in four matches. “It was one of the forgettable moments of my career. But, those things are inevitable in anyone’s career.”

Commenting on the India-Australia contests, Hussey said that they are not looked at like the Ashes contests. “But both teams are very serious and are building up a very good rivalry,” he pointed out.

“Essentially, the Indians, like us, are very disciplined, play positive cricket and come back at you very hard. This is the reason, any contest between the two teams is so intense and exciting,” he said.

Looking back at the controversial tour of India to Australia last year, Hussey stressed that some issues were blown out of proportion. “I don’t think there is any real animosity between the two teams. We respect each other’s strengths and definitely try to be competitive.”

Hussey believes that for the Australians the focus should not be on just one or two individuals in the Test series. “It is important to have very good plans for all the players to be successful,” he said. He also doesn’t believe that inexperience in the Australian camp should be a major worry considering that only four of the players have played Test cricket in India.

“Well, the guys have to keep things simple and stay focussed. This is where Greg Chappell (former India coach and now assistant coach of Australia) can be valuable to us. Being familiar with the conditions, and having been a classy batsman in his playing days, his inputs can be vital in our preparations,” he observed.

Right now Hussey is enjoying the game and is also hoping to see his brother David blossom at the international level. “He is a very good player and it was nice to see him in the one-day series squad. I thoroughly enjoy playing with him,” were his parting comments.

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