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Shane Watson is in doubt for the Sydney Test after suffering yet another injury while bowling.
Watson hurt his left calf - the same muscle that caused him problems
earlier in the summer and ruled him out of the first two Tests against
South Africa - while bowling against Sri Lanka at the MCG on Boxing Day.
The problem did not prevent Watson from batting on the second day and he
was able to score 83 in an innings that lasted more than four hours but
Cricket Australia revealed his injury late on Thursday night.
"He was able to get though the batting innings today and is likely to
field on day three," team physio Alex Kountouris said. "Whether he bowls
in the second innings will be determined closer to the bowling innings.
A decision on his availability for the New Year Test will be made after
the completion of the current match."
Watson has had an injury-plagued year, missing the whole of the last
Australian Test summer due to hamstring and calf problems, before being
ruled out of the Brisbane and Adelaide Tests this season after injuring
his left calf while bowling in a Sheffield Shield match. As he recovered
from that problem, he retained his determination to remain an
allrounder and said he would not consider giving up bowling "unless
something goes very horribly wrong".
During Australia's victory against Sri Lanka in Hobart
this month he bowled 47.4 overs, easily the most he has ever sent down
in a Test, as he helped cover for Ben Hilfenhaus, who broke down during
the game.
In the lead-up to the Boxing Day Test, Watson said his body had
recovered well from the workload and he was looking forward to
contributing more with the ball in future.
"My body has pulled up really well so far from the amount of bowling,"
Watson said in Melbourne on Sunday, three days before the Test began.
"To be able to get through that many overs is something that I've been
thinking about for the last six months, and more so dreaming to be
honest, to be able to contribute to an Australian Test bowling side of
things with that amount of overs.
"I've pulled up really well from it. I always wished I was able to
contribute some time when the team needed it. Unfortunately for Ben
Hilfenhaus he went down injured but it meant that it gave me an
opportunity to see if my body could handle that sort of thing and so far
it has."
Brydon Coverdale is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. He tweets here
Feeds: Brydon Coverdale
© ESPN EMEA Ltd.
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