England v Australia, 1st Test, Cardiff

Katich backs Hughes in bouncer battle

	Phillip Hughes was worked over by Steve Harmison, but his opener partner Simon Katich believes he can respond when the Test series begins © Getty Images
Related Links Player/Officials: Phillip Hughes | Simon Katich Series/Tournaments: Australia tour of England and Scotland Teams: Australia

Phillip Hughes' success against the short-pitched bowling of Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel has convinced his opening partner, Simon Katich, of his readiness to combat a bumper barrage from England's pacemen from Wednesday. Like South Africa, England have signalled their intention to test Hughes' unorthodox technique with a series of bouncers, but Katich is adamant the 20-year-old is worthy of the challenge.

Hughes appeared vulnerable in the extreme during Australia's recent tour match against England Lions, during which Steve Harmison dismissed him for scores of seven and eight with short-pitched offerings delivered from around the wicket. England's selectors opted against tapping into Harmison's momentum - he was omitted from the 13-man squad for the first Test - but the hosts will almost certainly look to replicate his tactic of denying Hughes width outside off-stump and peppering him with bouncers.

The noises emanating from the England camp are similar to those aired by the South Africans in March. After Hughes' streaky debut performance in Johannesburg, Mickey Arthur told reporters the opener "wasn't comfortable under the short ball" and ordered the likes of Steyn and Morkel to shorten their length to him. Hughes responded with sparkling innings of 115 and 160 in the ensuing match in Durban; performances Katich believes will serve him well throughout the Ashes.

"The South Africans [targeted Hughes] and he had a lot of success there," Katich said. "Unfortunately he got a couple of good balls and that happens at the top of the order. He didn't do a huge amount wrong in the second innings, it just kept coming back at him.

"I think he will go away in the next few days anyway and sort out what he is going to do to counter that. There's no doubt England will come at him with those plans after seeing it happen last week at Worcester, but I am sure his temperament is good enough to withstand that battle."

Hughes has displayed a remarkable capacity to deal with expectation in his fledgling international career, but the prospect of opening the batting in the highly-pressurised atmosphere of an Ashes series represents another step up for the rookie left-hander. The Australians are optimistic he will build on his opening partnership with Katich, which has averaged 65.33 to date, however England will be equally encouraged by the apparent short-comings exposed by Harmision during the tour match in Worcester.

Certainly, the prospect of a pre-Ashes phoney war is not fazing Hughes. Targeted by Arthur and AB de Villiers in the press in his maiden Test series, he is adamant he will not be distracted by the public comments of his adversaries.

"When the Steyns and the Morkels are coming at you and trying to rip your head off, I was very pumped and very excited," Hughes recalled. "I take that as a massive challenge. It was a big contest. At the end of the day it's bat versus ball in the middle. You don't want to play the bowler. It's bat versus ball."

Katich might not be under the immediate pressure of Hughes entering the Ashes series - his 221 runs at 55.25 in the two tour matches have steadied a nervous top order - but the senior half of Australia's opening combination feels he has much to prove.

After posting a modest 15 on debut at Headingley in 2001, Katich was dropped from the Australian side for more than two years. His 2005 campaign proved similarly disheartening - he scored 248 runs at 27.55 in the middle order - and resulted in a further 30 months in Test exile and a demotion from Cricket Australia's central contract list.

Having now reinvented himself as a dependable opener, Katich views this series as a chance at Ashes redemption. "I didn't think I was going to be here, so to be here for me, I'm very proud of that," he said. "To be able to fight back from when I was out of the team with most people thinking I was no chance of getting back on this tour, I want to make the most of it.

"Not that I wasn't grateful for the opportunity last time, but I think this time with a younger group I'm really looking forward to trying to get us off to good starts and help us out at the top of the order. For me it's about enjoying the contest, that's what this Ashes is all about. I feel really relaxed about it because I know I've done the work and I'm playing as well as I've played in the past."