Andrew McDonald, Pat Cummins show faith in ‘impressive’ Green at four

Cameron-Green. (Photo Source: Twitter/ICC)

In the aftermath of Australia’s narrow defeat to West Indies, all eyes are on Cameron Green, who is determined to cement his place at No. 4 in the batting order. Despite facing some high-quality fast bowling and having had a below-par series, Green’s resilience has earned support from key figures in the Australian cricket team.

The head coach, Andrew McDonald, firmly stated that Cameron Green’s position at No. 4 in the batting order is not up for debate. McDonald acknowledged Green’s tendency to start innings slowly, both in domestic and international cricket, but expressed confidence that once he finds his rhythm, it’s a sight to behold.

“I think if you’ve watched his innings at Shield and international level, he can start slow. That’s something he’s working on. It takes him a while to get his movements in sync at times, but that’s no different to any other batter. But once he’s up and going, and moving well, it’s a pretty good sight. We’re not in the mood to change the batting order. We feel like as a collective that unit will be able to have success over multiple Test matches,” McDonald was  quoted as saying by Cricket.com.au

Green, reflecting on his performance, admitted that his innings against West Indies lacked fluency. However, he remained optimistic about his role in the team, expressing the need to adapt to different circumstances.

“Yeah, it was a bit of an ugly innings. Sometimes have to go through that. You’re never going to be timing the ball beautifully or moving really well (all the time),” he said.

Steven Smith’s outstanding performance in the West Indies encounter evoked a range of emotions in Green. Despite facing challenges, Green views the experience as integral to his player development. He confessed,

“I had Steve Smith down the other end, making it look way too easy. Don’t know how great that made me feel.”

Looking ahead, Australia’s next Test assignment against New Zealand is just around the corner. While Green’s batting remains under scrutiny, McDonald believes the Western Australian’s contribution with the ball will be equally crucial. McDonald praised Green’s bowling, saying,

“He was pretty unlucky. He finished with 1-37 off 10, but it felt like it could have been anything. He’s really impressive the way he’s stepped back to the bowling crease. We’re optimistic he can play that allrounders role; there’s no doubt about that in New Zealand.”

I thought Green looked really impressive: Pat Cummins

Captain Pat Cummins echoed McDonald’s sentiments, lauding Green’s all-around performance, emphasising his outstanding bowling on day three, impressive batting, and commending his overall contributions throughout the week.

“I thought yesterday (day three) he was just about the pick of the bowlers. He could have easily had about three for 10. He was fantastic. Then batting, I thought he looked really impressive, thought he paced his innings nicely and was just looking to get going and then got a ball that bounced a bit extra. I thought he had a great week.”

As Green heads to join the one-day squad for matches against West Indies, the focus remains on his growth and impact in the upcoming series against New Zealand. With the backing of key figures, Cameron Green is poised to continue making strides in international cricket, proving that resilience and determination are the keys to success.