Ponting praises his master finisher

Michael Hussey's ability to carry Australia out of tight spots in one-day cricket has earned him high praise from his captain. Ricky Ponting described Hussey as just as good, if not better, than Australia's most renowned finisher, Michael Bevan.

Hussey lifted Australia to two victories in three days, earning a Man-of-the-Match award on Friday for his unbeaten 46 in a low-scoring win against England and then on Sunday guiding Australia home with 65 not out in a chase of 219. On both occasions the top order had stumbled and left Hussey with an uphill battle to avoid defeat.

Ponting said Hussey, who has also shown his cool head at Test level, was a huge asset to the team. "He has just adapted to international cricket unbelievably well," Ponting told the Daily Telegraph. "He is probably averaging 80 in both forms of the game, something like that."

Ponting was not far wrong. Hussey's ODI average has risen to 79.94 from 52 matches and his Test figure is 79.85. But it his ability to rebuild an innings when the opposition bowlers have gained the momentum that his captain appreciates the most. "He is a very good finisher," Ponting said. "He has certainly stepped into the Michael Bevan role, and is doing probably as well as Bevan ever did. He is playing great cricket."

Ponting said Hussey would be a more than adequate World Cup replacement for Bevan, who starred in Australia's past two campaigns. "[Hussey] is a very experienced player, without having a lot of international cricket under his belt when he came into the set-up," Ponting said.

"He has managed to win us a lot of games off his own bat, whether it be Test matches, making hundreds batting with the tail or controlling one-day games. We have guys through the middle order who can control the one-day game well. Looking back at our last World Cup team that was one of our strengths, [Darren] Lehmann and Bevan and those guys in the middle order."