Opener Hughes now a fill-in player for Australia

Sydney, Jan. 4 (ANI): Australian and New South Wales opener Phil Hughes is in danger of being left behind as a Test player.

Once touted as a wunderkind of Australian cricket, Hughes is now seen as a bit part player. And he's only 22.

Hughes walked out to open the batting on the first day of the Sydney Test with the warm applause of his home crowd behind him, but the latter were cheering for the anticipated debut of fellow NSW player and Pakistan-born Usman Khawaja.

So when Khawaja, all of 24, walked, jogged and then almost danced to the centre to face the first ball after lunch, the throaty adrenalin roar of the crowd was saved for him, Fox Sports reports.

Hughes had departed the ball before the break in almost tragic circumstances, if there can be any real tragedy in succeeding or failing at sport. He had done all the hard work on a green-tinged seaming wicket under leaden skies. (ANI)