Hussey focused on main events

Six months ago Michael Hussey highlighted three events in his diary that he was desperate to play in. He has ticked off the World Twenty20, which Australia lost in the final to England, and is in the process of readjusting for the Ashes in November and next year's World Cup.

After Hussey's list was made a Test series against India was added to the schedule, increasing the workload and meaning players appearing in all the game's forms will be attempting to peak over an eight-month period. Hussey is part of all three units but some of his team-mates rate his fitness so highly they think he could play on for years.

An India tour before an Ashes campaign isn't ideal due to the contrasting conditions, but Hussey has found some common themes between the contests. "As batsmen we'll be tested against spin - and Harbhajan Singh," he said. "It's good preparation for facing Graeme Swann. Also, the Indians use reverse-swing very well, that's something England are really trying to perfect. In that sort of respect it will be excellent preparation."

Swann and Stuart Broad are Hussey's two main bowling threats for the series starting at the Gabba in November. Swann created problems for the Australian batsmen during the 2009 success, collecting 14 wickets, and Hussey is wary of what he could do in the five Tests. "We're going to have to play him better than we did in England last time," he said. "Someone like Stuart Broad could also be a handful with his height and bounce."

Hussey has "a very good feeling about the Ashes" and downplayed the talk of a 5-0 victory. Australia swept the last series when Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Justin Langer, Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden were still playing and have undergone a significant rebuild.

"A lot of legends left the team a few years ago, but we've been able to keep a core group of players together for a good couple of years now and we've been slowly building," he said. "We've built up a good base of fast-bowling stock. It holds us in very good stead. We've got the pain of losing last time as well."

Brad Haddin, Nathan Hauritz and Peter Siddle are in line to return before the Ashes, but there is also the prospect of more injury setbacks right through to the World Cup. The schedule demands remind Hussey of four years ago, when a Champions Trophy, home Ashes series and World Cup were squeezed into the same campaign.

"We've done well before," he said. "We upped our training at certain stages at the end of the Australian summer [in 2006-07] and we lost five one-dayers in a row when John Buchanan increased our workload. I'm not sure if we'll go down a similar path this time, but it held us in very good stead for the World Cup in the West Indies."

The title defence, with Australia currently undefeated in their past 29 World Cup matches, begins in February in India. Hussey, who was 35 in May, thinks he will start to consider his future again at the end of the tournament.

He insists a fifth World Cup victory in a row for Australia is not the perfect time to stand down. "It took me 10 years to get one game, I don't want to wish it away too quickly," he said. "I'll see how I'm feeling, if my body's good and I'm still contributing to the team then I'm hoping to continue on."