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Michael Hussey could have easily been thousands of miles away from the cauldron. Instead, he will be in the thick of action in what could be a nerve-jangling quarterfinal against India here on Thursday.
Originally overlooked from the Australian squad for the World Cup following a hamstring injury, Hussey was inducted as Doug Bollinger's replacement after the left-arm paceman wrenched his ankle.
It's a reflection of Hussey's value to the side that he was brought in for a bowler. The Aussies were desperate to have this calm-headed cricketer in the mix.
The 35-year-old Hussey comprehends situations well, has this ability to collect runs at a brisk pace without really being noticed. The left-hander can also change gears in a jiffy. For the Aussies, he has often been the finisher.
In 154 ODIs, Hussey has 4535 runs at 51.53 with two centuries and 34 fifties. And his strike-rate is a creditable 88.26. The Aussies will require all his attributes against the Indians.
Confident
As the three-time defending champion, the pressure will be on Australia. Hussey, however, believes the side will come out of the last eight clash victorious.
“We go into this game with a lot of confidence because we have played well against India in Indian conditions and won. I think we have a fine chance. The match is going to be a wonderful spectacle,” the Aussie said.
He added, “If we beat India, we have a great chance to go and win the tournament.”
Hussey said the key to Australia's success would be to put the Indian batsmen under pressure. He also felt running between the wickets would be important.
“We have to go hard for every single run. It's going to be a tight game. We have to put pressure on the Indian fielders.”
The Aussie left-hander said the entire team backed captain Ricky Ponting who has been under fire from the media in recent times for his flare-ups in the arena and lack of form.
“No worries at all. He has been the best man for the job and has been for a long time. He certainly has the full support of the team.”
Hussey added, “Ponting has been criticised for minor things. They have been blown out of proportion. He's been playing well and just like a champion rises to the occasion at the right time, we will see the best of Ricky Ponting on Thursday.”
Short-pitched stuff
The affable Hussey said the Aussie pacemen would hustle the Indian line-up with short-pitched stuff.
“They would be aggressive and probe the Indian batsmen with some short stuff.”
The southpaw revealed his side would like to size up the conditions before coming up with the right batting strategy.
“The total could hinge on the conditions. Generally it can be low slow spinning sort of pitch here. We have to prepare well for that.
“Communication from the top three batsmen will give us a bit of an indication about what sort of score would be a good score or par score and would try and work towards it.” Hussey picked Zaheer Khan as the danger man in the Indian attack. “He is experienced and skilful. And he can bowl with the new and the old ball.”
Originally overlooked from the Australian squad for the World Cup following a hamstring injury, Hussey was inducted as Doug Bollinger's replacement after the left-arm paceman wrenched his ankle.
It's a reflection of Hussey's value to the side that he was brought in for a bowler. The Aussies were desperate to have this calm-headed cricketer in the mix.
The 35-year-old Hussey comprehends situations well, has this ability to collect runs at a brisk pace without really being noticed. The left-hander can also change gears in a jiffy. For the Aussies, he has often been the finisher.
In 154 ODIs, Hussey has 4535 runs at 51.53 with two centuries and 34 fifties. And his strike-rate is a creditable 88.26. The Aussies will require all his attributes against the Indians.
Confident
As the three-time defending champion, the pressure will be on Australia. Hussey, however, believes the side will come out of the last eight clash victorious.
“We go into this game with a lot of confidence because we have played well against India in Indian conditions and won. I think we have a fine chance. The match is going to be a wonderful spectacle,” the Aussie said.
He added, “If we beat India, we have a great chance to go and win the tournament.”
Hussey said the key to Australia's success would be to put the Indian batsmen under pressure. He also felt running between the wickets would be important.
“We have to go hard for every single run. It's going to be a tight game. We have to put pressure on the Indian fielders.”
The Aussie left-hander said the entire team backed captain Ricky Ponting who has been under fire from the media in recent times for his flare-ups in the arena and lack of form.
“No worries at all. He has been the best man for the job and has been for a long time. He certainly has the full support of the team.”
Hussey added, “Ponting has been criticised for minor things. They have been blown out of proportion. He's been playing well and just like a champion rises to the occasion at the right time, we will see the best of Ricky Ponting on Thursday.”
Short-pitched stuff
The affable Hussey said the Aussie pacemen would hustle the Indian line-up with short-pitched stuff.
“They would be aggressive and probe the Indian batsmen with some short stuff.”
The southpaw revealed his side would like to size up the conditions before coming up with the right batting strategy.
“The total could hinge on the conditions. Generally it can be low slow spinning sort of pitch here. We have to prepare well for that.
“Communication from the top three batsmen will give us a bit of an indication about what sort of score would be a good score or par score and would try and work towards it.” Hussey picked Zaheer Khan as the danger man in the Indian attack. “He is experienced and skilful. And he can bowl with the new and the old ball.”