Mumbai: Michael Hussey made a sensational entry into international cricket with his batting average nearing that of Sir Don Bradman. He soon got the nickname “Mr. Cricket” but then his career took a dip as he went through a bad run of form for a long time. But Mr. Cricket himself says that he has learnt to look at ups and downs in the game philosophically.

“When I scored all those runs initially, I thought what was happening to me was unbelievable. I was pinching myself every morning. But probably a time had to come to go through this poor run,” the 34-year-old Australian said ahead of the seven-match ODI series against India.

“I have looked at this philosophically; things just did not go my way, although I was hitting the ball well,” said the Western Australian batsman who was once averaging 80-plus in Tests before it came down drastically (52-plus after 42 matches).

Hussey said that luck played a vital role in a cricketer’s career and pointed out the ‘life’ he got at the Oval Test in the Ashes series against England before completing a century. “I approached batting in my own way and trusted my game. I suppose one needs luck along the way and I think I had that in the last Test at the Oval. I was dropped at 50 and went on to make a century (121).”

Hussey considers the century-old Ashes rivalry between Australia and England the ultimate challenge. “There’s so much tradition and history to it. Playing the Ashes is the ultimate for any Australian cricketer. To me it’s not playing the Ashes alone, but playing it in England (which is) the ultimate,” he said.

“It may not be necessarily the toughest. Playing in South Africa and India could be equally tough and challenging,” he said, and pointed out that he found the hot and humid conditions in India “very harsh”.

Hussey supported his skipper Ricky Ponting’s views that a seven-match ODI series was a bit too long.

“It’s a fair call for Ponting to say that a seven-match series is too many, especially if the series is decided halfway through. Five is good enough to determine the winner,” he said, adding that too much of cricket drained one out mentally and physically.

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