More fun than a wet weekend: Michael Clarke contemplates his lot as the first day of play in the third Test is washed out on Thursday. Owing to BCCI restrictions on photography accreditation, Fairfax Media will be bringing you all the action from Mohali in stick-figure form. Illustration: SMH Graphics
Shane Watson could be back in India for next week's fourth Test after his wife gave birth to their first child on Thursday.
The vice-captain's controversial suspension from the third Test proved to be a blessing in disguise, allowing him to be home in time to be at his wife Lee's side as she delivered a baby boy they named Will in a Sydney hospital.
Watson became a father as the first day of the third Test was abandoned due to heavy rain soaking the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali. He had flown out of Chandigarh airport, headed for Sydney, soon after it was announced on Monday that he was one of four players - the others were James Pattinson, Mitchell Johnson and Usman Khawaja - who were stood down for the match for a breach of team discipline.
Watson made no secret that he felt the scale of the punishment was ''very harsh'', and even suggested he would weigh up his Test future as a result. However, he insisted his decision to leave the tour was primarily based on his wife's pregnancy and his desire to be at her side for the birth.
The 31-year-old had planned to skip the fourth Test, which starts in Delhi on Friday week, and miss the early stages of next month's Indian Premier League to be with his family. Had he not been stood down from the third Test, he may well have missed the birth.
''Overnight, things have changed and Lee wasn't going to tell me things had changed because she knew how much it meant to me to be able to play this Test match,'' Watson said before leaving India.
''[The baby] was due in a couple of weeks but it's looking like things have sped up a little bit.''
The birth of the couple's first child will open debate about whether Watson could now return to India for the final Test of the series. It was understood he was on Thursday night yet to make a decision on rejoining the touring party.
Michael Clarke said on Wednesday he would like to have his deputy back as soon as possible. ''From the conversation Watto and I have had, 100 per cent he has gone home for the birth of his first child, which is very exciting for him. I know he's really excited about that,'' Clarke said.
''Hopefully all goes to plan there, Lee has the baby in the next few days and Watto is back here playing the fourth Test as our vice-captain. That's the best-case scenario from my point of view and from the team's point of view. The rest is really up to Shane.''
The four were made unavailable for the third Test for failing to provide feedback requested by head coach Mickey Arthur after the team's innings defeat in Hyderabad that left them 2-0 down in the series.
Arthur on Thursday reiterated the reasons behind the suspensions, which management said were the result of a general slide in players' attitudes. ''We want our brand to be the best in world cricket and in order to do that we needed to shift some cultural and attitude changes,'' Arthur said. ''We could stay the same and stay third in the world or become the most high-performing team in world cricket and give ourselves the best chance of becoming No.1.'' Arthur said it was unfortunate, but necessary, that the disciplining of players had not been conducted behind closed doors.
Australia made four changes to their side for the third Test. Brad Haddin replaced the injured Matthew Wade, Nathan Lyon returned at the expense of all-rounder Glenn Maxwell, and Mitchell Starc and Steve Smith were also included.
Clarke said he would bat at No.3.
No comments:
Post a Comment