Ashes debutant Michael Hussey has vowed it will be business as usual this week despite the prospect of his first Test match against England looming large.
That coolness comes as no surprise after a stunning debut season in international cricket which saw Hussey rack up 1139 runs in 11 Tests at an incredible average of almost 76.
With the weight of numbers behind him, you wouldn't expect the unflappable West Australian to be tinkering too much ahead of the crunch opener in Brisbane.
And despite the ongoing saga as to who will bat behind him at number six in light of Shane Watson's injury concerns, Hussey is remaining steadfast on concentrating on his own game.
"In my mind it's just as important a Test match as my first Test match last year against the West Indies or my third Test against the South Africans," he said of making his Ashes bow.
"I'm not building this one up to be any bigger or better than any other game."
"I'll prepare in exactly the same way as a county game or a state game for Western Australia."
The slim victory in Johannesburg to which Hussey refers gives a clue to the importance he places on his Test innings to date.
The 31-year-old notched four centuries in his international runfest last year including three tons in his first five matches yet it is his scores of 73 and 89 - which laid the platform for a two-wicket win against South Africa to wrap up the series - that stick in the memory.
His disappointing Test debut, however, is a milestone which rather sticks in his throat after scoring just one and 29 when opening batting alongside Matthew Hayden at the Gabba last November.
But the past 12 months have washed away any regrets about his Test start and given him the confidence to put aside any nerves with just three days to go.
"I was very very nervous leading into my first Test against the West Indies and I didn’t handle my emotions very well at all," Hussey admitted.
"So I'm glad I'm feeling really comfortable and really relaxed and am just concentrating on my preparation and my job in the team."
And he shrugs off talk of the second year blues in reference to team-mate Michael Clarke following up his own dazzling debut season with a lean second year.
"It's going to be hard to average 75 in Test cricket again," he said. "But I don't want to reminisce too much about last year and I don’t want to think too far ahead of this year."
"I know my game well and if I can stick to my game and my plans, I know I can still be consistent for Australia this year."
