February 8, 2013

Australia's Tour of India: Hughes could be the man

Rejuvenated batsman Phillip Hughes can be a key player for Australia in their four-Test series in India starting later this month, teammate Peter Siddle said on Thursday.

Siddle, who left in an advance party of eight players to help acclimatise to Indian playing conditions, pinpointed the diminutive left-hander as a player to have a major role in setting India big targets to chase.

"If we look at Phillip Hughes, the form he's had since he came back into the Australian side, he showed he'd changed his game for the best," Siddle told reporters at Melbourne Airport before departure.

"His form in the one-dayers has been outstanding.

"If he can translate that over to the Indian conditions, which will be a little bit different, he's the one.

"If he can get going and support Pup [Michael Clarke] and Davy [David Warner] and Watto [Shane Watson] we can get those big totals."

Hughes missed the opportunity to score his third ODI century this season when he was out for 86 off 93 balls in Australia's 39-run series-deciding win over the West Indies in Canberra on Wednesday.

While admitting that taking wickets through pace will be hard on the dry and spin-friendly Indian pitches, Siddle said the Australian team needed to stick with what had produced results in the past.

"The way we've won Test matches for years now has been with our pace," Siddle said.

"That's going to play a big role but [off-spinner] Nate [Lyon] is probably going to play a big role at the other end and I think that's where his game will flourish even more.

"He'll get a lot of assistance over there so I think combined the line-up will do well."
Siddle said the side had a basic plan but would emphasise patience in India.

"We have to bowl as straight as we can and be as patient as we can be," he said.

"It's always been the case, even for a spinner, to have patience. Indian wickets are hard work, the games go a little bit slower because the wickets are hard to score on."

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