Australia / Frank Gregan / 20 December 2010 /

Frank Gregan tells us why he watched Mike Hussey's interview at the end of day one of the 2nd Test three times and how the left-hander seemed to know something the rest of the watching world didn't.

Stick an international cricket coach or player in front of a microphone and he will manage to spin his way out of any crisis. These days they're all media savvy and even if their words sound more hollow than Long John Silver's dodgy leg they go through the motions anyway, telling all that will listen that they "will all pull together, learn from their mistakes and move onwards and upwards." Drivel!

At the end of day one at the WACA with the hosts firmly up against it, the Aussie players did the rounds giving interviews from the default setting. They all looked suicidal except Michael Hussey, who once again had been a thorn in England's side helping his side to a below par 268 which would have been considerably worse had he not scored yet another half century.

Hussey said all the right things and knew that the key was to "knock over a few early wickets." It wasn't the content of his rallying call, it was the way he delivered it. Instead of the monosyllabic diatribe that is usually forthcoming in these situations, Hussey put his point across with great enthusiasm and with a genuine belief that his team were still bang in the Test match.

It was compelling viewing, so much so that I watched the interview three times and each time became more and more convinced that Hussey knew something that we gloating English fans didn't.

Talk is cheap of course but the Aussies walked the walk for the remainder of the test and shut up those (myself included) who had been prematurely wallowing in their demise.

The English players must be feeling numb. A week ago they were full of confidence, playing at the top of their game and enjoying the tour of their lives. One Test later and they're reaching for the Valium and trying to work out what hit them. Their short term future looks about as healthy as Tommy the Turkey, Australia can smell blood and will be confident that they can kick on from here and regain the Ashes.

England need to follow Michael Hussey's example. They have to believe, the power of positive thinking at sport's highest level can't be overstated. Confidence is everything and Andy Flower will be earning every penny as he tries to repair the mental damage that Mitchell Johnson and Ryan Harris inflicted as they carved through the English attack like a snowplough on Gatwick runway.

This has been a very good series thus far but it's now going to get even better. There are only two Tests left, ten days of cricket that will determine if this crop of English cricketers are going to attain legendary status. They were in a fantastic position but now find themselves having to do it all over again. That really must be tough to handle and the demons in their heads will be having a field day.

England had looked to be home and hosed. As Hussey was bigging up his team's chances England were priced at [1.35] to win the series, they are now [3.15] with the Australians, who have been matched at a whopping [11.0], favourites at [2.64].

There's a lot of character in the English side and an abundance of mental strength but boy are they going to need it. For many of them, the thirty something brigade, this represents their last chance of tasting glory on Australian soil. Two draws would be enough to retain the Ashes but that won't feel the same as a series victory which remains the target.

Defeat would be excruciating and having watched us gloat for the last month or so the Aussies won't be backward in coming forward to point out the error of our ways. The last thing any Englishman wants to see is Andrew Strauss standing in front of a camera trying to spin the positives of an Ashes defeat. Not even Michael Hussey could do that!

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