With Phillip Hughes’ passing just three days shy of what would have been his 26th birthday, November 27, 2014 will go down in cricketing history as one of the saddest days in the history of the sport. Shiamak Unwalla takes a look at the career of a man who had much to offer to Australian cricket.
Cricket is a sport that has unbelievable highs; the sheer joy of a gorgeous cover drive, the exhilaration of seeing stumps in disarray, the euphoria of a hard-fought win. Mere days ago, the 250-run barrier was breached for the first time in a One-Day Internationals (ODIs). But today, this wonderful sport has thrown up a tragedy that has claimed the life of a much loved cricketer.
Phillip Hughes‘ career was in its early stages, but the talent that he possessed was unquestionable. That Hughes was a fighter was never in doubt; he was dismissed for a four-ball duck in his debut Test innings against South Africa in Johannesburg, but roared back with terrific scores in his next three innings, scoring 75 in the second innings of the same Test, and then amassing 115 and 160 in the next Test. He became the youngest Test cricketer to score twin tons in the same Test.
Formats
M
R
HS
Ave
SR
100s
50s
ODI
25
826
138*
35.9
75.1
2
4
Test
26
1535
160
32.7
53.6
3
7
T20I
1
6
6
6.00
75.0
0
0
Hughes’ character was seen during Australia’s tour of India in 2013. He was dismissed for scores of six, zero, nineteen, zero, and two in his first five innings, being dismissed by spinners on each occasion. His technique and temperament was under heavy fire due to his inability to cope with the Indian spinners — especially Ravichandran Ashwin, who dismissed him five times in eight innings.
In the third Test at Mohali, Hughes finally decided that offence was the best form of defence. He took on the bowlers, starting off with a flurry of boundaries against Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ishant Sharma before laying into Ravindra Jadeja, hoisting him for a four and a six in the same over. He was finally dismissed by Ashwin — though off a highly contentious LBW call — for a 147-ball 69 after getting to his half-century off just 49 deliveries. He followed that innings with a 59-ball 45 on a treacherous Feroz Shah Kotla pitch.
Earlier this year, Hughes’ scintillating stroke-play was on full display in the Quadrangular series between Australia A, Australia NPC, India A, and South Africa A Down Under, when he hit a record-breaking 202 not out for Australia A against South Africa A.
He started his ODI career in brilliant fashion, scoring 112 against Sri Lanka on debut at Melbourne in 2013. He scored an unbeaten 138 against the same opposition four games later after being dismissed for single-digit scores three times in between. As a result, he achieved a rare and unusual record of making two three-digit scores and three single-digit scores but no two-digit scores after playing five ODIs. He last played an ODI against Pakistan on October 12 this year, which will remain his last international match for Australia.
Hughes’ death is a huge blow to the cricketing fraternity. He will be missed by his teammates. He will be missed by everyone who has ever loved the game. Godspeed, Phil.
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