Hussey poised for Test debut at Gabba

BRISBANE – Mike Hussey is in line to make his long-awaited Test debut after opener Justin Langer admitted yesterday he was losing his fitness battle to play in Thursday’s opening Test against the West Indies at the Gabba.

Langer, who fractured a rib while batting for Western Australia in a one-day match last weekend, has until early Tuesday to prove he is fit to play for his country. Langer has bravely insisted he would play but on Monday the stoic left-hander admitted his chances were diminishing.”If it’s anything like this morning, I don’t think I’ve got that much chance,” said Langer, who has played 53 consecutive matches since winning a recall for The Oval Test of the 2001 Ashes tour of England.”It’s pretty sore and it’s a lot worse than I thought it was when I spoke to everybody yesterday.”I’m not so worried about getting another hit in the ribs.It’s just the fact that it’s hard to run and it’s hard to breathe.”You can be as optimistic as you like.But I saw the intensity and the way the guys trained this morning and if I’m not up to 100 per cent, I wouldn’t be playing on Thursday.”Langer, who was on course to play his 100th Test against South Africa in Sydney next January, said he has been advised to rest for 10 days, which should have him ready to return for the second Test in Hobart starting on November 17.But if he is forced to stand down, Langer said he could not be more delighted that the 30-year-old Hussey would get the chance to make his Test debut.Hussey has become a key member of Australia’s one-day batting middle order with an average of 123.50 from 18 games.He is one of only three men in the history of the English county championship to score three triple centuries along with Wally Hammond and Graeme Hick.He scored 1 074 runs at 76.71 captaining Durham this year.-Nampa-AFPLanger has bravely insisted he would play but on Monday the stoic left-hander admitted his chances were diminishing.”If it’s anything like this morning, I don’t think I’ve got that much chance,” said Langer, who has played 53 consecutive matches since winning a recall for The Oval Test of the 2001 Ashes tour of England.”It’s pretty sore and it’s a lot worse than I thought it was when I spoke to everybody yesterday.”I’m not so worried about getting another hit in the ribs.It’s just the fact that it’s hard to run and it’s hard to breathe.”You can be as optimistic as you like.But I saw the intensity and the way the guys trained this morning and if I’m not up to 100 per cent, I wouldn’t be playing on Thursday.”Langer, who was on course to play his 100th Test against South Africa in Sydney next January, said he has been advised to rest for 10 days, which should have him ready to return for the second Test in Hobart starting on November 17.But if he is forced to stand down, Langer said he could not be more delighted that the 30-year-old Hussey would get the chance to make his Test debut.Hussey has become a key member of Australia’s one-day batting middle order with an average of 123.50 from 18 games.He is one of only three men in the history of the English county championship to score three triple centuries along with Wally Hammond and Graeme Hick.He scored 1 074 runs at 76.71 captaining Durham this year.-Nampa-AFP