Phillip Hughes gears for rematch with South African quicks

Australian opening batsman Phillip Hughes is confident he has the game to again handle Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel nearly three years after he took them to pieces the first time. In early 2009, Hughes made twin centuries in Durban in his second Test as well as 75 at the Wanderers, and Steyn last month conceded the South Africans had given Hughes too many wide balls to score off.

They also peppered the diminutive Hughes with bouncers, which he happily slashed away for runs, and Steyn said since then they had learnt from the consistent lines that England's bowlers used to keep Hughes quiet during two Ashes series. Hughes said he was ready for whatever Steyn could deliver during the two-Test series, which starts in Cape Town on Wednesday.

"He's got his opinion, he's entitled to that and he can say whatever he wants," Hughes said. "I just worry about my game and go from there. Everyone's got their opinions and you hear a lot of people come out and say a lot of things and they're entitled to that and that's fine.

"I'm sure they'll come at me a little bit differently but in saying that I'm sure there is going to be a lot of short-pitched bowling. It's just about me worrying about my game and not looking too far ahead and just taking it ball by ball and enjoying the contest. I know it's not going to be easy and I've got my head around that."

Since his debut series, Hughes has had a difficult time of it in Test cricket. He was dropped two Tests into the 2009 Ashes and replaced by Shane Watson, and then earned only one-off call-ups against Pakistan and New Zealand when either Watson or Simon Katich were injured.

Another Katich injury allowed Hughes to play the final three Tests of last summer's Ashes but his best score in six innings was 31, and it was not until the last innings of the recent Sri Lankan tour that he finally added a third Test century to the two he scored at Kingsmead. All the same, Hughes believes he has improved since he was last in South Africa.

"I feel like I'm a better player than I was two and a half years ago," he said. "I had success here a couple of years ago but it's going to be a huge challenge in front of me, they've got some world quality fast bowlers and it's going to be challenging coming out opening against them, but I'm certainly looking forward to it and I feel my game is in a good space at the moment."

Hughes was one of the few Australians who didn't have a great impact on the tour match in Potchefstroom, where he made 4 and 19, both times edging behind the wicket. However, his opening partner Watson smashed 77 from 73 balls in the second innings and Hughes said by both being attacking players, he and Watson could release the pressure on each other.

"Shane's a very aggressive player and can really take the heat off me especially at the other end," he said. "I'm probably in the box seat watching him, especially when he plays like he did [in Potchefstroom]. In saying that, I could be doing the same and it could release a bit of pressure for him so it just depends on the situation of the game."

The Australians arrived in Cape Town on Friday ahead of the first Test at Newlands, which starts on Wednesday. They were set to have their first training session at the ground on Sunday morning.