Mike Hussey excited for Australia vs New Zealand clash

Mike Hussey knows a thing or two about the Champions Trophy. The former Australian cricketer was talking about the importance of winning the first game in the tournament. The group stages of the tournament has only 3 games for each team which makes it even more competitive.

Hussey believes that you have to be on top of your game right from the word go. He wrote about the same in his ICC column. Mr Cricket also talked about the battle between Kane Williamson and Steve Smith. Australia and New Zealand are the finalists of the World Cup 2015. These two teams always promise a great game of cricket. He touched upon many things in his column, let us have a look at some of the interesting topics.

On Steve and Kane

Hussey believes Steve Smith and Williamson are extremely consistent. He also said that both the players have their own technique and back themselves. He thinks that both the players are extremely different and behave differently at the crease.

“Both Steve Smith and Kane Williamson are tactically savvy and have been unbelievably consistent with the bat in all forms of the game. Both teams rely heavily on their skippers to set the tone and contribute runs. They are world-class performers, but have very different mannerisms at the crease,” he wrote.

He said that Williamson is calm and composed while Smith is fidgety and energetic. By comparing the two Hussey proved that it is very important to be yourself at the crease.

“Williamson seems very calm, calculated and controlled whilst batting – from the outside it looks as though he is never puffed and never sweats!!! Smith, on the other hand, is energetic, busy, bubbly at the crease, never still for a moment. It goes to show the importance of being yourself and playing your way in this game,” he explained.

On the strengths of both teams

The former Australian thinks that New Zealand will be hoping for swinging conditions to back their bowlers as they are the most dangerous in those circumstances.

Hussey said, “New Zealand will be hoping for leaden skies above to help their impressive swing bowlers in Southee and Boult. If they can get the ball moving in the air and off the seam then they will trouble the Australia batsmen. If the ball doesn’t swing or move off the seam, then the Australia batsmen will look to dominate.”

Australia have enough firepower to dominate any team in the world and Hussey also agrees with that. He believes that Warner, Finch and Chris Lynn are the hardest hitters of the ball and their natural instinct is to attack the bowlers from the word go.

“Finch and Warner are two of the most aggressive one-day players, and Chris Lynn is one of the most powerful hitters in the world. Their natural instincts are to go hard at the bowling, try to put them on the back foot and in a defensive frame of mind and under pressure by looking to hit boundaries,” Hussey wrote.

On the Australia’s bowlers

The Australian pacers are fit and back again. There always was one or two of them out with injury but now all of them are fit and Hussey has a good feeling about it. He also finds it exciting to see all of them in the Australian team as it will be interesting to see how they perform.

The 42-year-old wrote, “It would be exciting to see Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and James Pattinson all charging in and bowling thunderbolts. But in English conditions, control and getting the ball to move is important. The grounds are small and when it’s dry, the outfields are lightning quick where a batsman can use the pace of bowlers to great effect.”

If Steve wants to vary the pace then he has plenty of options at his disposal. With himself and Maxwell along with Travis Head who can come in and run through some overs. Hussey feels that Australia are safe when it comes to other bowling options.

“Smith will have plenty of options in the middle with the likes of Travis Head, Finch, Moises Henriques, Glenn Maxwell (if he plays) and himself who can all chip in with a few overs around the big guns if need be to mix up the pace and give some more variety to the attack.”

On Starc’s fitness

Hussey is happy that Starc is back from the foot injury he suffered during the second Test against India. He thinks of the left-arm pacer as a weapon Australia have which no other team has in the tournament.

“It is great to see Starc back to full fitness and playing again after fracturing his foot during the Australia-India Test series a few months back. He is such a huge weapon for Australia and respected by all batsmen around the world,” exclaimed Hussey.

He is of the opinion that Starc is one of the best bowlers in the world right now.

“Having the ability to swing the new ball and then come back at the death and get the old ball to reverse at searing pace makes him such an asset to the team,” explained Mr Cricket.