'I am looking forward to sitting down with Phil and trying to pass on as much experience as I possibly can.'

A dejected Hughes has already started being counselled by Hayden.

Hayden, and current opener Simon Katich, spoke at length to Hughes on the field at Edgbaston before play was scheduled to start in the third Test last night.

Hughes had been hailed as Australia's new batting wonderchild after two centuries on the tour of South Africa but technical deficiencies against the short ball aimed at his body proved his undoing.