Hussey ready for farewell party

Michael Hussey has been one of Australia's best performers in his first Ashes series, but he is still in awe of Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath and will be a close admirer during the pair's final Test in Sydney. One of Hussey's career regrets is he was not picked soon enough to play with Steve Waugh and Mark Taylor, so he intends to enjoy being part of the farewell party at the SCG.

"It's a great honour to be on the same field as these legends," Hussey said in Melbourne. "I've been playing first-class cricket for a long time and was desperate to play with Steve and Mark. I never got that opportunity, so to have the opportunity to play with these guys is a great honour and privilege. I'm in awe of the way they go about their work."

Warne made Hussey feel welcome during his debut Test in Brisbane last year when he pulled him aside in the dressing room to tell him "you don't have to prove anything to anyone". "You're good enough to be here, you just have to go out and play like you have for the past ten years. We all think you're good enough to be here," Warne told Hussey. "It was a great thing for him to say."

Hussey has learnt quickly during his 14-month Test career - his average dropped to 82.10 with his 6 in the fourth Test - and he remembered an early lesson from Warne about how to approach the game. "In my first Test we were standing in slips and he told me the over he was going to bowl to Ramnaresh Sarwan and how he was going to try to dismiss him at the end of the over," Hussey said. "The first ball was on off stump, then he took him wider of off stump, the third ball was wider again, the fourth ball he brought it back slightly and then he was going to go for the big slider and get him lbw.

"I was at short-leg and he executed the plan perfectly. But on the last ball Sarwan managed to get an inside-edge on to the pad [and wasn't out]. Warne was able to execute his plan in the most difficult art."

Supporters are also in awe of Hussey and he admits to pinching himself at his success, which includes 421 runs at 105.25 over the first four Tests. Australia have also had a wonderful series and the players will meet in Sydney on Sunday attempting to become only the second side to seal a five-Test Ashes cleansweep.

"I'm expecting England to be desperate, they won't want to lose the series 5-0 and it's their last chance," Hussey said. "I'm sure they're going to put in a huge effort and we're going to be ready for that. We're playing excellent cricket and we want to maintain it for one more Test."

Despite the one-sided nature of the contest, Hussey said the series had lived up to his life-long expectations. "Most definitely," he said. "It's been fantastic. It's been the most intense cricket I've ever played."