Rajasthan's own Shane Watson signs off silently
It is illuminating to watch a sportsman breathe his last upon his international career. And the signing off becomes all the more special when it’s a player like Shane Watson, one of those handful of foreign cricketers whom Indians love and respect.
It was in the year 2008, during the first edition of Indian Premier League that the forgotten burly boy from Queensland became the talk of the town. Representing then the now defunct Rajasthan Royals, Watson’s astounding effort both with the ball and bat got him his second wind and was unanimously chosen as an opener during Australia’s tour of West Indies in May 2008.
Heavy epithets often used to laud ‘great’ cricketing careers certainly doesn’t fit in Watson’s case. Cutting the superlatives it would be apt to say that Watson valiantly trod the labyrinth path carpeted with injuries thus rising strongly every time he fell.
Since his debut in 2002 he has courted injuries like nobody else and inspiringly fought against the odds to live his passion for cricket. As he calls curtains on his brave and dramatic career, it’s startling how despite his problematic fragile physique he bode for 14 years with the sport that demanded high fitness standards.
His international game blossomed between 2008-2011. It was during this period he helped Australia win its second consecutive Champions Trophy in 2009 and what stood out was his sheer dominance over England in the semi-final and New Zealand in the final as he went on to annihilate the opponents with back to back centuries.
His record-breaking unbeaten 161 against England at MCG in 2011 is one of his finest works in one-day cricket.
Watson’s surreal knock of 126 runs at Mohali in a Test match against India in 2010 bellied his reputation of being a player of the shorter format. He batted throughout the day, defending and delivering a knock one would associate with Rahul Dravid or Shivnarine Chanderpaul.
That day he played out of his skin against much eulogized Indian spin and that too on a typical subcontinent pitch. A glimpse of this knock was on display again in 2015 but in a one-day match against Pakistan during World Cup. Watson-Wahab showdown will go down in history as one of the fiercest battles that Watson fought.
Against the barrage of bouncers, steaming pace and verbal volleys, the Aussie with his well-calculated strokes controlled his emotions and sensibly drove his team into the semis.
Watson has bludgeoned weight in T20s more often and his contribution in IPL playing for Royals or for his country is profuse. He’s the only player to hold number one ranking for both batting and all-rounder rankings in T20Is. It’s not at all unfair to say that after the 1950’s, he’s the only genuine all-rounder Australia has produced.
His strike rate of 90.44, 145.32 and 141.27 in ODIs, T20Is and IPL respectively speak for themselves. Adding to this, his expertise in hitting mammoth sixes explains that he’s a player of brawn and brains. Against India, in ICC T20 WC 2016, he played his last international game that did not make for a fairytale end but it was by no means a disappointing end.
He played with palpable aggression and gave his all in an attempt to extend his international run, but unfortunately, others on his side failed to match with his intent to stop Virat Kohli’s juggernaut.
Shane Watson is the only special import whom Rajasthan considers its own. Neither flashy nor docile, he was a catalyst whose prowess was always looked up to by his several fans who supported his former club Rajasthan Royals.
He has strewn several nuggets in Jaipur that will always echo at the SMS stadium from where he rose like a phoenix from the ashes.