‘It’s a bit of a stretch’: allrounder Cameron Green a reluctant Test opener
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Cameron Green can’t see himself becoming the next David Warner, or even Shane Watson, as selectors consider how to shoehorn the talented allrounder back into the Test team.
The pressure on Warner, 36, following his double failure to Stuart Broad in the third Test at Headingley, has been multiplied by a stunning century to Mitchell Marsh playing as an injury replacement for Green, who claimed he had a “very, very minor” hamstring twinge.
Cameron Green plays a shot during the second Ashes Test match at Lord’s.Credit: AP
Now Green, 24, has declared himself fit for the fourth Test at Old Trafford, beginning on Wednesday, one of the solutions being floated is for him to replace Warner at the top of the order, particularly given that Green has opened for Australia in white ball cricket.
“I think it’s a bit of a stretch,” Green replied when asked if he could transfer his skills from the shorter formats to Test cricket.
“I think being an allrounder – probably Shane Watson is the only one you come to mind doing that – I’m not too sure how much he bowled.”
The answer is that Watson, who spent 79 of his 109 Test innings batting in the top three for Australia averaging almost 40, rarely bowled more than a handful of overs following his promotion to open the batting during the 2009 Ashes tour.
But Green is concerned about the impact the strain of bowling may have on his batting up the order, even at number 4, where he usually slots in for Western Australia in the Sheffield Shield.
“I think everyone enjoys it,” Green said of batting up the order. “You get more time in the middle. It might be a bit tougher as an allrounder when you have to bowl your 15 to 20 (overs) a game and then also bat No.4. But have to wait and see.”
The quandary is how to fit Marsh, 31, and Green into the same side given Marsh’s outstanding performance and Green’s value as a genuine seam bowler with good pace and bounce.
The spotlight is squarely on Warner because the ghosts of his dreadful 2019 tour returned. He was caught at second slip for 4 and 1, making it 17 times that Broad has now knocked him over.
Yet Warner had been batting reasonably well on this England tour without cashing in on starts. He and Usman Khawaja had three successive opening partnerships of 61 or better, which is significant given that captain Pat Cummins has lost every toss and Australia have endured the worst of the conditions for batting or bowling.
As fellow West Australians Green shares the joy of Marsh’s unexpected success, four years after his last Test during the 2019 tour of England. This is despite the fact that Marsh may end up keeping Green out of the team.
“I was so happy for Mitch,” Green said. “Obviously, he’s been one of the best players in white-ball cricket for the last few years. There was no doubt in my mind that he was going to come back and play an incredible game, which he did. So happy for him.”
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