Looking at Shane Watson, one would say, “wow what a personality” a broad chest with a beautifully shaped muscles and the agression in his eyes, Shane Watson is a player with who will intimidate the opposition just by a look.
Shane Watson debuted for Australia in the year 2002, but he had to be out of action soon due to a lot of injuries.
After a decade since his debut, he is no doubt among the best all rounders. He is considered as the senior most player in the Australian line up, with Australia having some problems in the transition period after the retirement of Ponting and Hussey.
Shane Watson, is one type of an all rounder who you don’t see much in cricket. He bats at the top and bowls a medium pace. Another similar type of all rounder is Jacques Kallis of South Africa.
Shane Watson was also a part of the IPL winning squad in the year 2008. Six years later, in 2014, he captained the RR side. It was a time when his Career was taking a huge turn. He has been very successful in the shorter format as the stats suggest, but he is also one the most important element in that Australian test team. In the 2009 Ashes, he scored 3 back to back half centuries after he was promoted as an opener. He got the opportunity and he delivered. During this period, he also scored two successive tons in the semi final and the final of the Champions Trophy 2009, thus securing his place as an opener. Two months later, he scored his maiden test century at MCG against Pakistan. He probably was the best bet for the replacement of Australia’s thunderous opener, Matthew Hayden.
Injuries kept Watson wondering and under stress and he changed his bowling action, and reduced his pace but this actually proved better for him as he now can bowl variations. Obviously he could have been more better as a bowler as well, but the the fitness level in mind, he has adapted well to his body reactions.
His main power is in his batting. He is one of the most dangerous batsman at the top the order. His style is very similar to that of Sehwag or Hayden.
His two test centuries and seven ODI centuries all have come as an opener. His IPL century of 60 balls also came as an opener. With his batting more impressive than his bowling, Watson can be known as a Batting All rounder.
Watson is a destructive opener. He picks the length quickly, and his cover drives are a delight to watch. The ball goes like a rocket to the fence. His favourite shot though is the heave over midwicket and long on. He always fancies that area, and if it is in that good length zone he will certainly deposit in the stands. When Watson is in flow, one has no option but to wait for him to commit a mistake.
His knocks always been special, but two knocks are even more special. With Australia losing the Ashes in 2011, in the following one dayer against England, he scored 161 off just 150 and made sure Australia chased a mammoth 295. But the best knock of his is when he went all guns blazing against Bangladesh with a mere 96 ball 185,breaking 3 really records, one of Max sixes(15), which is now currently held by Rohit Sharma, the fastest to reach 150 at that time and the highest score while chasing.
This is the story of Watson, a Queensland boy, who idolized the Waugh Bros. is now been idolized by lot of youngsters. It is one the rare stories of success. We wish him all the luck in the upcoming future.
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by Archit Athani
