Hughes pushes case for Test recall with entertaining half-century

November 17th, 2009 SYDNEY - Australian opener Phillip Hughes" hopes of earning a Test recall have been dented after he failed to complete the one-day game against Tasmania. Hughes, who is playing for New South Wales in the domestic tournament, injured a finger on his right hand while attempting to take a slips catch during the six wicket one-day loss to Tasmania at North Sydney Oval.

November 6th, 2009 HYDERABAD - Australian skipper Ricky Ponting and former captain Mark Taylor have said that New South opener Phillip Hughes could re-ignite his Test career during the series against West Indies. The endorsements follow support from chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch ahead of the first Test against the West Indies at the Gabba on November 26.

November 3rd, 2009 more images more imagesSYDNEY - A number of Australian openers battling for a Test recall will compete against each other at the SCG in the Sheffield Shield match that starts today. The game will have New South Wales's openers Phil Hughes and Phil Jaques fighting for a Test recall, while there's Western Australian captain Marcus North, who will be looking to push back into the national squad.

October 27th, 2009 SYDNEY - The chairman of the Australian cricket selection committee, Andrew Hilditch, has given New South Wales opener Phillip Hughes hope about making a comeback to the Test squad for the Australian summer series against the West Indies. Hughes returned to Sydney yesterday to be told that Hilditch had informed incumbent Test opener Shane Watson to be prepared to bat anywhere in the top six against the West Indies next month.

October 24th, 2009 SYDNEY - The Australian cricketers selected for the seven one-day matches against India will stretch every sinew of their bodies in putting up performances before their selectors in the hope to make it or be recalled to the Test squad this summer. According to a report appearing in the Sydney Morning Herald, every run from all-rounder Shane Watson will act as another nail in opener Phillip Hughes's coffin bag, and every wicket that fast bowler Brett Lee snares, will scream for a Test recall.

August 28th, 2009 LONDON/ NAGPUR - Sacked Australian opener Phillip Hughes is determined to make his way back into the squad and hopes to return against the West Indies in the first Test at Brisbane. Hughes, who was axed after the Lord's defeat against England, has been training in India with his coach Neil D'Costa and even has a chance to have a one-on-one session with Sachin Tendulkar this weekend.

August 23rd, 2009 SYDNEY - Former New South Wales coach and Australian keeper Steve Rixon expects forgotten opener Phil Jaques to return with such vengeance this season that he puts serious pressure on the Test partnership of Simon Katich and Shane Watson. Rixon, who is the president of Sutherland grade club where Jaques plays, said the 30-year-old left-hander still faces an anxious time in his recovery from back surgery, but if he regains full fitness he could resume his place at the top of the Australia's batting order.

August 12th, 2009 LONDON - Discarded Australia opener Phillip Hughes says he is still preparing for next week's Ashes series decider at The Oval just in case he is needed. Arriving in the United Kingdom as one of the most exciting batsman on the planet, the 20-year-old was dumped after just three innings in the Ashes series.

August 12th, 2009 LONDON - Dumped Australian opener Phillip Hughes has declared he has no fear of the short ball, citing his enormously successful debut tour in South Africa as proof it is not a major flaw in his game. Hughes also retained hope his Ashes series was not over despite his replacement Shane Watson excelling at the role with three half-centuries in as many innings.

August 6th, 2009 YORKSHIRE - Australian all-rounder Shane Watson has been spending some of his time off the field consoling dumped youngster Phillip Hughes. Watson was a surprise selection for the third Ashes Test at Edgbaston and made the most of it with back-to-back half centuries (62 and 53) as an opener.

July 31st, 2009 MELBOURNE - Former Australian openers Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer have decided to take struggling youngster Phil Hughes under their wings. Hayden promised that he and Langer would counsel Hughes and help him return stronger as the selectors' decision to sack the 20-year-old ahead of the third Test at Edgbaston in the ongoing Ashes series drew flak from the country's former cricketers.

July 25th, 2009 LONDON - Australian opener Phil Hughes' latest failure has heaped yet more pressure on skipper Ricky Ponting ahead of next week's Third Test at Edgbaston. Opener Hughes made just 10 in a warm-up game at Northampton on Friday and remains horribly out of touch just when Ponting needs him to start firing.

July 23rd, 2009 MELBOURNE - Former Australian opener Matthew Hayden has said that current opener Phillip Hughes needs to temper his attacking instincts to adapt to tricky English conditions. Hayden, the retired 103-Test batsman whose retirement paved the way for 20-year-old Hughes to make his debut last summer, has strongly backed the young opener to score heavily in the remainder of the series.

June 27th, 2009 SUSSEX - Australian opener Phillip Hughes was once again amongst the runs, 13 days before the first Ashes Test against England to be played at Cardiff from July 8. Hughes, Ponting and Clarke all passed 70 and the Australians declared their second innings against Sussex with a lead of 417 so as to give the bowlers a second crack at the county batsmen on Saturday.

June 15th, 2009 SYDNEY - Australian Test opening batsman Phillip Hughes and Marcus North are eagerly counting their days to become part of the historic Ashes series. Hughes said he cannot wait to make his Ashes debut next month.