Former Hampshire batsman Phillip Hughes' Test career appeared on the verge of reignition before he was fatally hit on the head while batting in the Sheffield Shield.

Renowned as a battling and aggressive batsman, Hughes played his final Test 16 months ago at Lord's where Australia lost to England on the way to series defeat that summer.

But days before what would have been his 26th birthday on Sunday, there was a likely vacancy in Australia's top order because of captain Michael Clarke's injury problems, and Hughes - who played for Hampshire towards the end of the 2010 season - was an obvious candidate for the start of a four-match series against India.

Hughes announced himself in international cricket in unique and remarkable fashion when, as a 20-year-old opener in just his second Test against South Africa in March 2009, he became the youngest man to make a century in each innings of a Test - taming a world-beating pace attack led by Dale Steyn with scores of 115 and 160.

A diminutive left-hander, he had arrived at the top table with a homespun technique.

It was one which brought him occasional problems, although the perception of a possible weakness against short-pitched bowling often worked to Hughes' advantage as he met attempts to unsettle him with an array of attacking shots through the off-side especially.

Often, by the time a 'plan' worked to get him out, he had already taken handsome advantage and put his team in a strong position - quickly.

Born the son of a banana farmer in the coastal town of Macksville, New South Wales, Hughes made his Grade A debut aged just 12.

He graduated at a pace through the junior representative structure at state and then international level - and having already become the youngest batsman to hit a Pura Cup final century, he made that Test debut after just two seasons of Sheffield Shield cricket.

After his brilliance against South Africa at Kingsmead, the cricket world was abuzz with Hughes' potential and attacking intent.

With an Ashes series in England looming, he signed a short-term contract with Middlesex and immediately attuned to conditions with a string of big scores for them too.

That summer did not go according to plan for Hughes or Australia, and he caused a stir by announcing to the world via Twitter - a medium of novelty at the time - that he was being dropped mid-series.

He restated his case and was involved in Australia's next two Ashes assignments, both defeats, but then could not break into the unchanged team of 2013/14 which whitewashed England down under.

In the meantime, Hughes added another notable feat to his career graph of significant highs and occasional losses of form when he marked his one-day international debut in January 2013 by becoming the first Australian to score a century on debut in that format.

He moved from New South Wales to South Australia last year, also played in England for Worcestershire and Hampshire and the Indian Premier League for Mumbai Indians.

Surprisingly, for such an instinctive attacker, he did not make his Twenty20 international debut until just last month in a victory over Pakistan in Dubai - a match which would be his only cap.

At the time of his death, he was therefore in contention to be involved simultaneously in all three international formats for the first time.

Hughes was making a fine case for his Test recall, unbeaten on his old home ground at the SCG on 63 when he missed an attempted hook at Sean Abbott and was hit on an area of his lower head and neck which was unprotected by his helmet as he swivelled.

He fell to the ground, and was rushed to hospital where he never regained consciousness before dying of his injuries two days later.