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Melbourne: Australia opener Phillip Hughes believes that he has the right technique to face the Indian spin attack in trying subcontinent conditions in the upcoming four-Test series, beginning February 22.
“They have got all bases covered with their spinners going in and away from the bat… So it’s going to be challenging. I feel like my technique has come a long way in the past 12 months... Spin has been on my mind knowing that this series was coming up,” Hughes said.
Hughes feels that the sweep shot, used to good effect by the likes of Mathew Hayden in previous tours to tackle spin, could be a handy tool in the Indian conditions.
“The sweep shot… I’ve brought that into my game in the past 12 months. Playing in Sri Lanka (in September 2011) in their conditions where it did turn, I played the sweep shot a little bit over there… But it was a shot that I felt I had to improve upon. I might bring it out in India, depending on the conditions... ” he was quoted as saying by the Sydney Morning Herald.
Hughes is amongst the second batch of players, along with Shane Watson, Mitchell Johnson and Xavier Doherty, who left for India on Monday.
The 24-year-old left-handed batsman said he that is expecting the Indians to use their strength — spin bowling — to tackle the Australians.
“...I’ve looked at a lot of footage from India’s series against England… There were a couple of pitches that were extremely flat and the guys went on and got big scores… The other wickets were very challenging, where they brought on spin very early and it turned,” he said. “I know they will probably bring spin on very quickly.”
The man from New South Wales has been to India a number of times, but didn’t get an opportunity to play a Test.
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