Shane Watson at his best is always on the front foot. Aggressive while batting and bowling, always ready to move forward and put pressure on the opposition and when that doesn't work, he doesn't mind letting the opponents know exactly what he thinks about their batting or their bowling.
And surely after yesterday's stunningly brutal 107-ball 143, Watson will not have any regard for Joe Root's bowling. Root, who bowls some off-spin, was plundered for 28 runs in one over -- the most expensive in history by an England bowler.
But he wasn't the only one Watson singled out. His muscular innings featured 12 fours and six sixes and when he was done, England were in shambles. Australia made their way to 298 and that was never going to be easy for the opposition. Turns out it was more than enough.
During the course of the innings, Watson also became only the fifth all-rounder in ODIs to make eight or more 100s and claim 150-plus wickets. It is a list that carries some weight about it - Sachin Tendulkar, Sanath Jayasuriya, Jacques Kallis and Chris Gayle are the others. If nothing else, it signifies what Watson has achieved for Australia when he is fit - and there have been many breaks and pauses between the 'fit' stretches.
A look at his ODI numbers at this stage reveals just how important he has been for Australia. After 165 ODIs, his batting average stands at 41.82 with a strike-rate of 89.43 and his bowling average 29.13 at a strike-rate of 36.5. Both averages are very respectable on their own but when you put them together you have a winner.
http://m.firstpost.com/sports/shane-watson-is-odi-crickets-best-all-rounder-today-1113973.html?utm_source=hp
