Test Match Betting: Shane the substitute

Bat and ball / Andrew Hughes / 02 December 2009 / Leave a Comment

Watson walks after his Gabba duck

"His persistence was finally rewarded at Edgbaston when he was called in to replace the struggling Phil Hughes as a makeshift and in some people’s eyes, unlikely opener."

Injury-prone Aussie Shane Watson has found himself a new role as an opening batsman. But is he really cut out for it and how long can he hold onto the number one slot in the batting order? Andrew Hughes investigates

It is hard not to feel some sympathy for Shane Watson. A talented cricketer and a natural sportsman, he has been on the brink of an international Test break through several times, only for injury to snatch his opportunity away. Prior to this summer's Ashes tour, various ailments including damaged hamstring, strained calf muscle, dislocated shoulder, stress fractures of the back and even food poisoning had all conspired to limit his Test appearances to just eight matches.

It has been to his credit that he hasn't let his bad luck get him down and has kept coming back for more, remodelling his bowling action, reorganising training schedules, putting in the hard yards at the gym and in the nets. His persistence was finally rewarded at Edgbaston when he was called in to replace the struggling Phil Hughes as a makeshift and in some people's eyes, unlikely opener. Typically, he applied himself diligently and scrapped out a couple of creditable half-centuries to finish with a healthy series average.

Nevertheless, his determination and natural talent could not disguise certain technical batting deficiencies. Simon Katich has spoken about Watson's welcome aggression in the opening role, but he is no Matthew Hayden. A limited range of shots, an inability to find the gaps under pressure and some sluggish foot movement are big handicaps for an opening batsman. Tellingly, in 6 innings as an opener, he has fallen leg before wicket on 5 occasions, the latest for a duck at the Gabba, where Jerome Taylor already seemed to have worked him out.

So how long will Watson be given in his openers role? It isn't clear and there is a certain amount of confusion on the subject within Team Australia. Whilst praising his talent, willingness and aggression, Ricky Ponting has made it clear that he sees Watson's role as that of an all-rounder, batting at six or seven and has hinted that he should be expected to resume that role sooner rather than later.

Yet Chairman of Selectors Andrew Hilditch has been at pains to point out how impressed he has been with Watson as an opener, indicating that the experiment might have a while to run yet. Cynics might suggest that Hilditch's praise for his makeshift opener is an attempt to deflect criticism from the fact that he was responsible for selecting an Ashes touring party with no back-up opener, an omission that led to Watson's unplanned promotion in the first place.

Still, there are good reasons why Watson should remain in place, at least in the short term. The man he replaced, Philip Hughes, is widely regarded as the future of Australian opening batting and there is no doubt that he is a highly gifted young batsman. Nevertheless, his own technical deficiencies are just as glaring as Watson's and it could be argued that more time spent ironing out his weakness against the short ball in domestic cricket would be time well spent.

And if Hughes were to be brought back, there is the knotty question of which player would make way for Watson in the middle order. Michael Hussey has secured his place with a century at the Oval and fifty at the Gabba and Marcus North has done nothing wrong. Then again, dropping Watson altogether would rob Australia of a crucial fourth seam bowling option. Their current emphasis on multi-dimensional cricketers also makes Watson a vital member of the team.

So, it is likely that the experiment will continue for the time being, certainly for the next test against the West Indies at Adelaide, where the home side are as short as [1.28] to follow up their crushing First Test win with another victory.

Still, if Watson were to fail once more against what might be regarded as a second-rate bowling attack, Hilditch could find the pressure to bow to the pro-Philip Hughes media campaign too strong to resist. If that were to happen, and Watson were to be dropped for his shortcomings as an opener, a position he has never played in before, then it would be another cruel blow for an earnest and talented cricketer.