Shane Watson in doubt for Sydney Test ? Cricket News Update ...

Shane Watson in doubt for Sydney Test ? Cricket News Update

Australian all-rounder Shane Watson?s participation in the third and final Test against Sri Lanka at Sydney has come under the shadow of doubt after the 31-year-old suffered yet another calf strain while bowling on the first day of the ongoing second Test of the series, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Watson is most likely to have laid the grounds for the injury when he was forced to bowl more than he ever has in his first-class career during the first Test of the series at Hobart, where he delivered 20.4 overs during the first innings, and 27 during the second innings, after Ben Hilfenhaus sustained a side strain.

On the first day of the second Test, Watson bowled three overs against the visiting Sri Lankan team in the morning, and did not return to bowl after lunch. He is also unlikely to bowl during Sri Lanka?s second innings.

Injuries have formed an unfortunate and frequent part of Watson?s career. The all-rounder spent most of the last Test summer out of the national side owing to hamstring and calf injuries, and also suffered a calf strain earlier this year, which kept him out of the first two Tests against South Africa.

However, despite the most recent injury, Watson put forth an impressive batting performance on the second day at Melbourne, today on December 27, when he scored 83, and formed part of a 194-run stand with skipper Michael Clarke. However, he was unable to progress into triple figures, and eventually succumbed to Dhammika Prasad.

Despite having put forth a impressive performance for Australia in the T20I format of the game recently, having been awarded the Player of the Tournament title in the ICC World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka earlier this year, Watson had been undergoing a slump in the extended-overs format of the game. He scored his last Test century in 2010, and the recent 83 is his highest Test score in more than a year.

The recent injury comes as a severe blow, and if selectors choose to exclude him, Watson is likely to sit on the sidelines as Usman Khawaja takes his place in the third and final Test, due to be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3 to 7.

Source: http://blogs.bettor.com/Shane-Watson-in-doubt-for-Sydney-Test-Cricket-News-Update-a211333

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