Published: Jun 08, 2013, 08:57 PM (IST)
Edited: Jun 08, 2013, 08:57 PM (IST)
Phil Hughes had a tough tour to India earlier this year scoring just 147 runs in four Test matches © Getty
London: Jun 8, 2013
Australian batsman Phil Hughes doesn’t have fond memories on the field in England. However, the left-hander is determined to put things in place as Australia began their long tour to United Kingdom with their first match against arch-rivals England in the ICC Champions Trophy 2013.
”I do remember how down I felt at the Oval after the fifth Test back [in 2009]. It was not a great experience,” Hughes was quoted as saying by Sydney Morning Herald.
”But I’m not thinking about what happened four years ago. I feel like I’ve well and truly moved on from that. Personally, I feel I’ve grown a lot and I’m a lot better cricketer than I was back then. I’ve been over here playing in county cricket since then and got a good grasp of playing in the conditions over here,” he added.
A good outing in the Champions Trophy will surely reaffirm his place in the Ashes side. With Chris Rogers and Ed Cowan, both putting up impressive performances for their respective county sides, the pressure to perform is right up there for Hughes. “It’s an important competition for me personally because I really want to stamp myself in this team in both forms of the game,” he said.
The left-hander had a disastrous tour to India in February-March earlier this year where Australia were whitewashed 4-0. Hughes scored just 147 runs in the series at an average of just over 18 and more significantly struggled against the spinners.
”India was tough for everyone. We learnt a lot of lessons on that tour. We knew going there it was going to be tough. We got there early and trained hard and, unfortunately, things did not go to plan. But we’ve really come together as a group and we’re looking ahead over here, not back,” recalled Hughes.
Australia are placed in Group A of the ICC Champions Trophy alongside New Zealand, Sri Lanka and England.
