Hussey's blueprint for success in Sri Lanka

Australia's most successful batsman in Sri Lanka, Mike Hussey has provided a blueprint on how he would play the trio of spinners that are bamboozling Steve Smith's men.

Hussey scored 463 runs, averaged 92.6, posted two centuries and reached the nineties twice more in three Tests on his sole tour of Sri Lanka in 2011 at the same venues where the current series is being played.

To put that in perspective, Ricky Ponting is the only batsman to have scored more runs than Hussey in Sri Lanka – 112 more but from nine more visits to the crease.

Hussey faced Rangana Herath on that 2011 tour, the wily left-arm orthodox spinner who destroyed Smith's charges in Pallekele and claimed a hat-trick in the second Test at Galle last week.

Herath dismissed Hussey only once five years ago (for 15. Hussey's next lowest score was 93) as Australia held on for a 1-0 series win – the last time a touring Australian side has won in Asia.

While Australia's batsmen prepare for another spin assault in the third Test in Colombo starting Saturday, cricket.com.au asked Hussey to put himself in the Aussie batsmen's shoes and explain how he would go about handling Sri Lanka's deadly spin trio and his frame of mind batting in the subcontinent.

On playing spin in Asia

"Your defence has to be pretty sound.

"Listening to a lot of the comments from the guys they sound like they've got the right game plan.

"They don't want to let a bowler settle, they want to be try and get off strike and rotate the strike as much as possible.

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"They want to bat long, long periods of time and build big innings.

"They're saying all the right things, but obviously not executing it as well as they would have liked at this stage.

"I think they're on the right path. They were a lot of things that I was saying to myself when I was over there quite a few years ago now."

On playing Rangana Herath

"I'm trying to be positive, I'm trying to be confident, trying to make sure my defence is really, really strong.

"My mindset is 'I'm going to watch the ball as best as I possibly can, play each ball as well as I can and if something explodes or does something crazy then there's nothing I can really do about it'.

"I'm just looking to play the ball, be positive, try to figure out where a couple of singles are to get off strike and build a new partnership with my mate at the other end."

On playing Dilruwan Perera

"Much the same sort of plan, just going to watch each ball and play it as well as I can.

"I'm going to be worried about getting lbw with the ball just sliding in a bit so I'm going to try and cover that. 

"I'm sure they'll have some catchers around the bat.

"There might be a chance to get a single towards cover or through the off-side, and if he gets a bit short I might be able to get a single through mid-wicket. That's pretty much what I'm thinking there."

On playing Lakshan Sandakan

"This is the one I'm probably most nervous about.

"At the moment I haven't faced him before so when you haven't faced someone and he's bowling wrist spin you're not sure about his variations.

"So I'm a bit nervous about the wrong 'un, how much is he turning his leggie, does he have a slider (a ball that spins straight on), so I want to get all that information as quickly as I possibly can. 

"But certainly I'd be really nervous about facing him early.

"Again my plan is pretty much the same; I just want to try to be positive, confident, watch every ball as closely as I  possibly can, then if he gives you a loose one – sometimes the wrist-spinner might give you the odd loose ball – try and put that away for a boundary.

"Otherwise, know where my singles are and try to get off strike."

On using the sweep shot

Image Id: ~/media/8F68EE5F473A456A9D3F0A30198750ED Image Caption: Hussey reverse sweeps in Galle // Getty

"I definitely used it. I certainly didn't use it early in my innings. 

"I was more trying to be nice and solid with my defence and get off strike by pushing singles around.

"Talking to a lot of spinners they don't like it when you sweep or reverse sweep.

"They bowl their best ball and you go ahead and sweep it and get runs for it puts the bowler back under a lot of pressure. 

"It's a risky shot, particularly early in your innings, but once you're in and set and used to the pace of the pitch and bounce it can be a very effective way to score runs and put the bowler of his line or length.

"Me personally, I wouldn't be employing it early in my innings but certainly something I'd be looking at doing once I got in."