Philip Hughes was dropped for the third Ashes Test at Edgbaston after poor scores in the first two Tests and manager and mentor Neil D'Costa believes the selectors treated the 20-year-old harshly.

"I think they jumped the gun if you just look at the facts. He was batting well in the first innings of the first Test and was caught down the leg side after the ball took his glove in the second innings. And in the second Test, Andrew Strauss claimed the catch when replays showed the ball had hit the ground and Phil was not out," D'Costa said.

"I think the team wanted to get Shane Watson in because he could also bowl and Phil and Mike Hussey were the only players they could drop. And Hussey's fielding ability probably helped him retain his place," D'Costa said, adding that Hughes has a long career ahead of him.

"The good thing about him is that he's hungry to get his place back. Cricket Australia has given him a two-year contract and yet he is not going to think that he's made it so he does not need to work on his game," he said.

"And there's not a lot that's wrong with his batting. He's just 20 and still learning to adjust to international cricket and so a little bit of tinkering is always needed. But he has the talent and the ability to do well."