Mike Hussey is hurting, but says he won’t come out of retirement to salvage Australia’s wreck of an Indian tour.
Hussey says it’s vital Australia show faith in the batsmen on tour, rather than send him an SOS.
The 37-year-old says he’d have a simple answer if Australian captain Michael Clarke asked him to end his Test retirement: “Nah, I don’t think so.”
“They have picked a squad for this tour so you have got to try and believe and back the guys you have chosen and show faith in them, I think that is really important,” Hussey told AAP in Adelaide on Wednesday.
“It looks like it has been pretty tough batting on those wickets so I don’t think I would have had too much of a say.”
Hussey, regarded with Clarke as Australia’s finest players of spin bowling, announced his retirement from Test cricket last January.
The prolific run-scorer’s absence has been keenly felt as Australia crashed to consecutive Test losses in India.
“It has been tough to watch,” said Hussey, who is in Adelaide for Western Australia’s Sheffield Shield game which starts on Thursday.
“It looks like it has been tough for the boys over there, no doubt about it.
“The mood would be pretty flat, I would have thought.”
Hussey averaged 44.81 in India, about six and a half runs shy of his overall Test average.
“Particularly if you haven’t played Test cricket over there before, it can be really challenging,” he said of India.
“I’m sure the boys will hopefully get better as the series goes on.
“Obviously we can’t win the series outright now but there is still as lot to play for in trying to get back to two-all.
“And the more you play in those conditions, the better your plans become and the better you can execute your plans.
“You have just got to try and stay positive and stick to what your plans are.”
And a slice of luck would also help, he said.
“Sometimes it just takes that one slip in concentration and you’re gone, or one ball that explodes,” he said.
“Look at the ball that Hughesy (Phil Hughes) got in the first Test and the ball that Watto (Shane Watson) got – they are pretty much unplayable balls.
“It’s difficult over there, it’s tough Test cricket.”
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