Katich ruled out with elbow injury
Phillip Hughes, the 21-year-old opener, is back for his sixth Test after Simon Katich failed a fitness test on his injured right elbow
Peter English at the SCG
02-Jan-2010

Phillip Hughes is back in Australia's Test team • Getty Images
Phillip Hughes, the 21-year-old opener, is back for his sixth Test after
Simon Katich failed a fitness test on his injured right elbow. Katich was
struck during the opening game against Pakistan by Mohammad Aamer and was
given until the final morning to prove he was right, but the New South
Wales captain was unable to recover in time.
"Simon Katich batted for 20 minutes in the indoor nets today," the
physiotherapist Alex Kountouris said. "Simon was still very sore this
morning after the net. It was decided he should be replaced."
Katich, 34, was limited in his range of shots and will miss his first game
since returning from a three-year break in 2008. He was the team's leading
run-scorer in 2009 with 1,111 and had developed a strong combination with
Shane Watson, who replaced Hughes during the Ashes tour.
Despite Katich's strong form, it's a difficult time to miss a game with
Waston in great form in his past seven Tests and Hughes desperate to make
a lasting impressing following his stumbles in England. Hughes struggled
with the short ball during the Ashes and was roughed up by Andrew Flintoff
in his two Tests, so will be keen to show he has recovered his touch.
In his second Test in South Africa he scored centuries in both innings to
confirm his promise and the selectors will be pleased to see him in the
side to inject some youth ahead of next year's Ashes. It will be Hughes'
first Test in Australia and he will play on his home ground, although the
decision was so late it will be a rush for his family and friends to get
here from the northern New South Wales town of Macksville.
Peter English is the Australasia editor of Cricinfo