Emotional return to Hughes' final dig

Josh Hazlewood grew up in Tamworth, close enough to Macksville to have played against Phillip Hughes in New South Wales junior country competition. He can remember being relieved when a washout spared him the task of bowling to Hughes, off the back of two earlier hundreds, in an Under-17s carnival.

But Hazlewood was not at the SCG the day Hughes was hit, and believes the fourth India Test will be most difficult for the four men who were - Brad Haddin, David Warner, Shane Watson and Nathan Lyon.

"I think it will be, probably more so for those guys who were out there playing in that game. It's different for everyone, but for those guys it will be the toughest I think," Hazlewood said when asked about the emotional toll of returning to the ground where Hughes played his final innings.

"Playing in Brisbane and Melbourne we got away from it a little bit, and really got stuck into some cricket being so congested and really focused on the cricket side of things. But when we get back to the SCG, training there and going out to the game it might bring a few feelings back, especially for the guys who were out there but for everyone in the team."

The SCG dressing room will carry a permanent reminder of Hughes when a plaque is unveiled above a door in the Members Pavilion, and there will be many more observances of his life during the Test match. Warner had already foreshadowed that Sydney would be the most difficult match for him to endure, and all teammates will remember their previous visit to the SCG was to discuss how they could go on after Hughes' death.

"It's obviously where we gathered together," Hazlewood said. "There'll be a few different feelings going through your mind, but you just take your time, take it all in and hopefully we can come out the other side and play some good cricket, rolling along from the last two games.

"I think we'll try to treat it as another Test and get around the emotion as much as we can. But we can't hide from it, it's obviously going to be there for all the players, on different levels for each individual, so you've just got to do your best."

Hazlewood's note of caution about the days ahead was backed up by Haddin, who visibly grappled with the topic of Hughes when it was broached to him a few minutes later. "This is a Test match I look forward to every year," Haddin said. "I think this is the greatest ground in the world to play at and I know all the Sydney guys feel the same way. We don't really know, to tell you the truth, until we step out there. I don't really know."

On the topic of facing reminders of Hughes in Sydney, Haddin trailed off. "So there should be a bit about him. He was a big part of all our lives. I don't really know what to say..."