Former Australian cricketer Mike Hussey believes England vice-captain Harry Brook will face a mental challenge in the Ashes opener.
Ahead of the first Test in Perth, Hussey highlighted Brook as the batsman he is most keen to see, noting that the conditions and unique pressure of the Australian pitches will make for a fascinating test of his skills.
On Betfair and The Overlap’s Stick to Cricket showHussey also discussed Australia’s nerves and hype heading into the winter Ashes.
Hussey believes Australia enter the series opener with understandable trepidation given the absence of their captain and strike bowler.
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Nervous
“I had a quick chat with Pat Cummins, and he said his body felt great, and he was in good shape long term,” he said.
“He’s looked really good but he just hasn’t played much in the last six months. I think they’ll push hard for the second Test.”
“If he doesn’t quite get that kind of volume behind him yet, certainly solid for Adelaide in the third test.
“No Pat Cummins is a huge loss in the first Test. He is the number one bowler, the captain of the team, and also makes handy runs.”
“He’s a calm influence in the group. That’s a huge loss and I think the Aussies will be nervous coming into it because losing both him and Hazelwood for the first Test is a big loss.
Mind games
Hussey named Brook the player he is most excited to watch in the first Test, noting the challenges he will face in Australian conditions.
“The one player I am looking forward to is Harry Brook,” Hussey added. “He is a weapon and he has scored so many points all over the world.
“This is the only place where he hasn’t scored any points, and I know it will be in the back of his mind.
“If he can get a score early in the series it will be huge for his confidence. But if Australia can stop him early then maybe the mind games in his head will start playing too. So he is a huge guard for me.”
“The last thing you want to do in an Ashes series is try to figure out how to play in the conditions and they get to test three and you’re like, okay, now I’m starting to hit my tires, you know, you want to get off to a running start.
“I understand that the schedule, as it is, the landscape is very different now, that they like to come in, just do what they’ve done and then move on. But I mean, I think it’s a risk, but hindsight will tell.
(Adam Davy/PA)
Hype
Hussey admitted he would have found England’s aggressive ‘Bazball’ approach difficult to adapt to.
“I would have had trouble with Bazball,” he explained. “I would have had a hard time if the coaches had said to me, ‘Come on, you have to keep at it all the time.’
“What if someone can bowl well? Sometimes you have to work through it.”
“That’s what I like about Test cricket, sometimes you have the opportunity to dominate, and sometimes you just have to absorb a bit of pressure.
He also reflected on the huge anticipation surrounding the first Test in Perth: “The hype is as big as I ever remember for an Ashes series.
“This has been incredible. I’ve been here in Perth and everyone is so excited about this first match.
“It’s sold out the first three days. Everywhere you go, people can’t stop talking about it. The hype has been huge here.”
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