One would be underplaying in saying that all-rounder Cameron Green would be “eager” to return to the Australian Playing XI during the forthcoming third Test match against India in Indore beginning from March 1.
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For someone who has scored 259 runs at an average of 43.16 including a couple of half-centuries across six Test innings in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, Green would be itching to bat in front of the Indian Test spinners in India.
Irrespective of how well Green plays in the last two Tests, he wouldn’t be able to win Australia a Border-Gavaskar Trophy. That being said, Green sure has a golden opportunity to leave a mark in whatever is left of his maiden Test tour of India. In what could be the last Test tour of India for some Australian cricketers, Green would be among the senior players whenever Australia play a Test series in India next.
If ever there would be a stat for a rookie cricketer being highly-rated even before his/her debut, Green would be part of the top cricketers in that list. Green, who had been compared to absolute Australian legends such as Donald Bradman, Dennis Lillee, Keith Miller and Ricky Ponting even before he first played for Australia, is always under the towering weight of expectations from the Australian cricketing fraternity.
When David Warner congratulated Cameron Green sarcastically for maiden Man of the Match award in Test cricket
Although Green has been adjudged Player of the Match four times across 39 international matches thus far, his solitary match award in 18 Tests had come during the first Test of Australia’s tour of Sri Lanka 2022.
Green’s first-ever Test innings in the island nation had seen him scoring 77 (109) in a game-changing effort at the Galle International Stadium. Coming in to bat at No. 6 with just 100 runs on the board, Green’s fifth Test half-century had paved way for a decisive 109-run first innings lead before Australia won by 10 wickets the following day.
“This bloke’s gonna be the f**king best player ever [laughs]. It’s his first tour of Sri Lanka and he’s just adapted and found a way,” Australia all-rounder Glenn Maxwell says in ‘The Test: A New Era for Australia’s Team’ (2023) to be wax lyrical about Green for taking refuge in sweep shots in order to dominate the Sri Lankan spinners.
Having said that, it was opening batter David Warner, who complimented Green in the best possible manner. It was after winning the match that the Australian players were chilling with a beer in their hands when Green became a victim of Warner’s sarcasm.
ALSO WATCH: David Warner laughs off after being hit on the crotch by bail on Travis Head’s delivery
“Well done, champ. First time’s a fluke, mate. Second time’s consistency [all laugh after a brief pause],” Warner had told Green. “That’s congratulations from David Warner,” Steve Smith tells Green to assure of Warner’s compliments albeit in an amusing manner.
On a serious note, Warner lauded Green’s adaptability to the conditions later in the same episode of Prime Video’s docu-series which released last month. Readers must note that both Warner and Smith were among the three early wickets which the visitors had lost on Day 1. Green, who can be seen taking tips from opener Usman Khawaja, gained from his suggestion of always showing intent on such pitches.
