Cricket: Hussey 'in a mess'

Mike Hussey has shown his mind is "in a bit of a mess" by being bowled shouldering arms in consecutive tests, says former test captain Ian Chappell.

Australia's No 4 has looked in reasonable shape at the crease in England but Chappell questioned the left-handed batsman's head space after he left a Graham Onions ball that came back in slightly and clipped his off stump for a golden duck at Edgbaston.

It followed a similar dismissal at Lord's when he left a ball from Andrew Flintoff that hit the top of his off peg when he appeared well set on 51.

"Your mind is in a bit of a mess when you're letting balls go that pitch on middle and hit off.

"You're in a mental state when you're doing that," Chappell said.

"If you are thinking about letting balls go, that's the wrong approach.

"The thought process for a batsman is, 'I'm looking to hit a four, if I can't hit four I'll push it for a single, if I can't get a single I'll just stop it and then if it's wide of the stumps I'll let it go'."

Hussey has scored 403 test runs at 22.38 since the start of the Australian summer but his place is still considered to be safe in the Australian team for the rest of the Ashes series.

- AAP