WHEN Philip Hughes stepped out to bat in the first Ashes Test, he was the next big thing in Australian cricket, the man to fill Matthew Hayden's big shoes and at 20, someone who would open the innings for a long time to come.

And Hughes had earned such credits through sheer number of runs - 415 in his three-Test debut series against hosts South Africa and three hundreds for Middlesex in three games leading up to the Ashes.

But with scores of 36, 4 and 17 in the first two Ashes Tests and 10 and 68 in the warm-up game against Northamptonshire, he was dropped for the all-round abilities of Shane Watson.

"It was very disappointing. Everything had gone to plan in South Africa and the games leading up to the Ashes. So, it was quite disappointing to not score runs and be a part of the team that lost the Ashes," Hughes, who is currently in India, told MiD DAY yesterday.

Disappointing

"I was in good form in South Africa and early on in England. I guess it's just one of those times. You have your good days and your bad days. It's disappointing, but you have to move on and look forward to the next step," the New South Wales player added.

The next step for the left-hander is to work on his game with mentor and manager Neil D'Costa, who is a coach at the Nagpur Cricket Academy.

"I will be here for five-six days. I have known Neil since some time now and share a good relationship with him. I'm looking to spend some quality time with him and work on all aspects of my game," Hughes said.
Though he was on the sidelines when Australia surrendered the Ashes to England for the second successive time away from home, he was just as disappointed as those in the playing XI.

"Nobody likes to lose a Test or a series. All of us were really disappointed to lose the Ashes. On the final day, it was a packed house at the Oval and everyone was supporting England.
"They were loud all the time and especially when the last wicket fell. It was quite disappointing for us but at the same time, it's also important to look ahead and try and get better."