Hughes likely to replace Katich

Phillip Hughes is likely to get a Test recall later this week as injured Simon Katich’s replacement for Australia’s third Ashes Test against England in Perth.

Opening batsman Katich is out for the rest of the series with a torn Achilles tendon and skipper Ricky Ponting has indicated Hughes is the “first cab off the rank” as his replacement.

Hughes, who burst on to the Test scene with two centuries in the second Test against South Africa in Durban in 2009, fell out of favour when he was dropped after just two Tests against England later that year.

The New South Wales left-hander was found out against the well-directed short ball during the 2009 Ashes series in England and has largely played a backseat role since Katich united with Shane Watson to open the innings.

Now that Katich is sidelined indefinitely Hughes, 22, may get another chance to state his claim for a longer spell of Test cricket.

“Phil Hughes is the first one who comes to mind,” Ponting said, when asked after Tuesday’s Test loss about the new opener.

“We know what his international record is like — he made a good 80 in the second innings of the game in Hobart against England as well, he made 80-odd not out in a one-dayer for NSW the other day, so he’s got a few runs under his belt lately.

“He’s probably the first cab off the rank, if you like, who the selectors will be talking about.

“So I’ll talk to Andrew Hilditch (chairman of selectors) about that in the near future but I’d be surprised if it’s not him that came in.”

England captain Andrew Strauss was unperturbed about the likelihood of Hughes returning to the Australian set-up.

Strauss initiated Hughes’ removal from the Australian team mid-series last year through the brutish bowling of his quicks, and though he noted some tightening of the left-hander’s technique during an innings of 81 for Australia A against the tourists, still saw plenty of weakness.

“We’ve got our plans in place for him,” Strauss said. “We’ve played against him a few times before, we played against him in the Australia A game, he’s obviously worked a bit on his technique.

“I think he was slightly different in that game to what we’d seen previously, but I think there are weaknesses there that we can exploit, definitely.”

Katich believed the last 18 months have toughened Hughes and made him more ready for the short-pitched bowling he is likely to face against England in Perth.

“He has been through a lot in the last 12 months or so since he got dropped in England, he’s handled it well, he copped it on the chin even though it was a tough decision at the time, he’s gone away and he’s tried to work at his game,” Katich said.

“He’s a fantastic young player so there’s no doubt if he gets the opportunity he’ll be ready to go. He has done everything he possibly can.”

England have a three-day tour game against Victoria, starting in Melbourne on Friday, where Chris Tremlett, Tim Bresnan and Ajmal Shahzad are expected to get their chance to replace the injured Stuart Broad.

Broad has been ruled out for the rest of the Ashes and the following one-day internationals against Australia after he tore abdominal stomach muscles in the second Test.

“We’ll see which one is looking the most potent and the most suited for Perth, which is going to be important as well,” Strauss said, referring to the third Test, which starts on December 16.