Colombo, Sep 14: Australian all-rounder Shane Watson has said he is prepared to shift down the batting order if his increased bowling demands put a strain on his ability to compile big scores as an opening batsman.

Watson has been used extensively as a fourth fast bowling option in the ongoing three-match Test series against Sri Lanka.

Colombo, Sept 6: Australia's vice-captain Shane Watson has cautioned his teammates about the `second Test syndrome' as they prepare to meet Sri Lanka in Kandy on Thursday.

Australia put on an efficient and confident display despite a poor pitch to post a 125-run victory in Galle, taking a one-nil lead in the three-match series, Fox Sports reports.

Colombo, Aug 27: Australian opening batsman Shane Watson has revealed that he has been seeking Indian star batsman Rahul Dravid's advice to turn good starts into `bigger scores'.

"To get bigger scores is a burning ambition for me. It's something that I really want to be able to get right before the end of my career and being able to capitalize on the good days," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Watson, as saying.

Hambantota (Sri Lanka), Aug. 12 : Australian opener Shane Watson feels that he is hitting the ball really well again.

In an article for Fox Sports, Watson writes that all facets of Australia’s one-day game clicked very nicely into gear to get the momentum of the tour of Sri Lanka back in their favour.

Sydney, Dec 22 : Shane Watson is not embarrassed about his over-the-top behaviour when he dismissed Chris Gayle in the Perth Test even as West Indies skipper claims he holds no grudge against the Australian all-rounder.

Watson was fined 15 per cent of his match fee by the International Cricket Council (ICC) match referee for charging at Gayle and screaming in celebration on day four of the third Test.

Watson admitted he went too far in his widely condemned celebrations, but said Gayle had baited him before he came on to bowl.

Sydney, Nov 24 : Australian opener Simon Katich has said that a debate may rage over the long-term future of Shane Watson as a Test opener, but the all rounder is the best of the current lot.

"He (Watson) has put his hand up for it and no doubt wants it. His technique is suited to batting at the top of the order. He likes to be aggressive and put the bowlers under pressure," The Sydney Morning Herald quoted Katich, as saying.

Melbourne, Nov 19 : Former Australian pace legend Jeff Thomson believes Shane Watson’s surprise role as a Test opener is an insult to opening batsmen across the country.

Selectors named Watson as Australia’s opener for next week’s first Test against the West Indies at the Gabba.

Thomson delivered a typically blunt assessment of Watson’s role as an opener, insisting it was “ridiculous”.

The Courier Mail quoted him as saying that specialist openers around Australia had every right to be angry.

Sydney, Nov 17 : Australian skipper Ricky Ponting believes all rounder Shane Watson has the capability to become the world''s premier all-rounder in the coming years.

Ponting said that with England''s Andrew Flintoff retiring from the international scene and South African Jacques Kallis'' career almost coming towards its end, Watson has the chance to press his claims to be considered as the No. 1 all-rounder.

Sydney, Nov. 12 : Australian opener Simon Katich has said he expects fellow New South Wales opening partner Phillip Hughes to make a comeback to the Test squad against the West Indies, and a push down the order for current opener Shane Watson.

Katich, who is preparing for the first Test against the West Indies to be played in Brisbane later this month, believes that Hughes has benefited from the experience of being dumped and will make his comeback count, both in the short and long term.

Shane Watson missed his century by just 7 runs as an aeriel shot off Harbhajan's bowling landed into the waiting hands of Jadeja at deep mid-wicket. The Australians, however have scored 40 runs after Watson's departure and are at 192 after just 34 overs.

Ponting is batting on 24 and Marsh is on 71. Harbhajan Singh has picked up the only wicket to fall and has also been the most economical of the Indian bowlers at an economy rate of 3.50 after 8 overs.

It was the first ball of the 10th over of the Australian innings in Wednesday’s second ODI. Ishant Sharma had just replaced Ashish Nehra and the first ball he bowled was a shocker for Shane Watson.

It kicked up from not-too-short a length and caught the batsman completely by surprise, resulting in an edge taken behind the stumps.

In a flash, memories of the gangling fast bowler not performing to potential in the last few months became something of a distant past.

This was the Ishant India knew who had belied age by producing unplayable deliveries from time to time during the trip to Australia in 2007-08 and against the same team at home last year.

Australia might consider opening the batting with Shane Watson and Tim Paine in the ODI series against India beginning Sunday but if Mitchell Johnson has his way, they may soon have competition.

The ICC Cricketer of the Year now wants to be considered an all-rounder. And not just that, he even wants to open the batting for Australia. “I am really enjoying going out in the middle and scoring runs, and I will like to be classed as an allrounder,” Johnson said on Thursday.

The much-maligned Indian Premier League, blamed for a plethora of injuries to players from around the world received a most ironic endorsement at the end of the Champions League. Shane Watson, who has suffered more through injury and been in and out of the team since his debut seven years ago, emphatically credited the IPL as the turning point in his career.

Watson, who scored back-to-back tons in the semifinals and final of the Champions Trophy, spoke honestly about different things in his career. “There no doubt that the IPL is what has got me back on the field,” said Watson.

Australian team has retained the ICC Champions Trophy crown after defeating New Zealand by 6 wickets in the grand final match in Centurion, South Africa on Monday.

New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat first in the final match. Kiwi batsmen struggled against Australian bowling attack and they finished their inning at 200 runs for loss of 9 wickets in their allotted 50 overs.

M Guptill was top scorer for Kiwi team with 40 runs. Australian off-spinner N Hauritz took three important wickets, while B Lee chipped in with two wickets.

Centurion, Oct 6  Shane Watson hit a marvellous unbeaten century to guide defending champions Australia to a six-wicket victory over New Zealand in the final of the Champions Trophy at the SuperSport Park here Monday.

Chasing a target of 201, Man of the Match Watson remained not out on 105, his second consecutive century, as Australia shrugged off a shaky start and made 206 for four in 45.2 overs. Australia also became the first team to retain the trophy.

Centurion, Oct 3  Unbeaten centuries from opener Shane Watson and skipper Ricky Ponting kept defending champions Australia in contention to retain the title after they knocked out England from the Champions Trophy with nine wickets in the semi-final at the SuperSport Park here Friday.

Chasing a target of 258, Watson (136 not out) and Ricky Ponting (111 not out) were in complete control of the game as Australia romped home in 41.5 overs.

England were bowled out for 257 runs in 47.4 overs after captain Andrew Strauss opted to bat.

Melbourne, Sep. 7 : Shane Watson has gone from fringe Test candidate to one of the most important cricketers in the country within a month.

Having scored three half-centuries in the recent Ashes series, which Australia lost 2-1, Watson has taken on the mantle of a genuine Test opener, replacing batting tyro Phillip Hughes in the process.

He has already mapped out a future plan that culminates in him leading the Australian batting card in the return series four years from now.

The Australian team selectors have axed opener Phillip Hughes from the playing elevens for the Edgbaston Test, which is going to start from today. Hughes will be replaced by all-rounder Shane Watson.

Hughes was unable to perform to his potential in previous two test matches. He scored 36, 4 and 17 in the two test matches at Sophia Gardens and Lord's while he managed to score only 10 and 68 in the practice match against Northamptonshire.

Warwickshire, July 30 : All rounder Shane Watson will open for Australia in the third test against England that gets underway from today.

The Australian selectors have said that 20-year-old Phillip Hughes has been dropped, though an official announcement is yet to be made.

Hughes has lost his place in the national squad after just five Tests, reports the Herald Sun.

The report suggests the selectors have hit the panic button after Hughes''s three innings in the first two Tests produce scores of 36, 4 and 17.

London, July 27 : Australia should be cautious about including all-rounder Shane Watson in their squad for the third Ashes Test at Edgbaston in place of out of form opener Phillip Hughes, believes cricket columnist Peter Roebuck.

While admitting that the selectors do not have many options, Roebuck says in an article for the Sydney Morning Herald that Watson, is really an all-rounder who bats in the middle order. But he adds that the worrisome factor is that he averages just 19.76 in Test cricket.