da roleta： Shane Watson has fought many struggles and his maiden century at the MCG will bring him enormous relief
da bet sport： Brydon Coverdale at the MCG29-Dec-2009Shane Watson has spent most of the noughties straining under great expectationsand a fragile body that couldn’t shoulder the load. On the second-last dayof Test cricket in the decade, Watson was finally unburdened and freed himselfof all the disappointments and heartache that the past few years havebrought him. He can now move on to greater things.As Watson raised his bat to celebrate his maiden Test century, he lookedrelieved more than excited. In part that was because he’d just been droppedat point on 99 and scrambled a quick single to reach the milestone, enoughto send any batsman’s heart racing; but Watson’s build-up to this momentspanned eight years, not just a few nervous deliveries.Ever since he first stepped out for his national team in March 2002, Watsonhas been tipped as the next big thing and the expectations only grew whenAndrew Flintoff’s 2005 Ashes showed Australia the value of an allrounder.For most of his career, Watson has looked like an action figurine and beenjust as inflexible and liable to snap. But now that his body is holding together,the full extent of his talent is on display.Chris Gayle said this month that Watson was soft. You can’t overcome thehurdles Watson has if you’re soft. His list of injuries includes problemswith his back, shoulder, hamstring and calf, and they have kept him out ofmajor moments like Australia’s triumphant 2003 World Cup campaign and the2006-07 Ashes whitewash.And yet, after every strain, tear or break, he has remained upbeat abouthis future, confident he would return. If he lost his right arm in afreak accident you’d half expect him to start bowling with his left and declarehe’d be back in the team within a year.It’s a resilience that makes him perfect for Test cricket. Following scoresof 96, 89 and 93 this summer, his persistence was rewarded when he becamethe first Australian to reach triple-figures in a Test this season, after the team had managed 20 half-centuries. Having starred with twin hundreds in the Champions Trophy and firmly established himself as a one-day and Test opener, it capped off a fabulous period.”The last six months have been for me my defining moment,” Watson said. “Thelast six months have been something I’ve always dreamt of, being able tostring so much cricket together throughout the Ashes, then the one-dayersand going on to the Champions Trophy and then on to India as well. For meleading up to the summer, that was a big accomplishment for me.”Despite the dropped chance on 99, he thoroughly deserved his century. SinceWatson came into the Test line-up as an opener during the Ashes tour, hehas been comfortably Australia’s best batsman. He has scored 716runs at 65.09, faced more balls than any of his team-mates and has more half-centuries to his name than any of his team-mates.And all this from a makeshift opener. The selectors were criticised for thrustingWatson, a middle-order player at first-class level, into the opening positionwhen they dropped Phillip Hughes before the Edgbaston Test. They’ve beenproven correct. Had Hughes returned to the team at the MCG in place of aninjured Ricky Ponting, Watson might not have even opened.His technique is sound, he drives and pulls with force and discretion, andthere’s a hint of David Boon in the way he shuffles the bat in his handsat the bowler’s release and then moves his body in behind the ball. A combinationof 93 and 120 not out in his first Boxing Day Test, after his previous successes,means he must stay at the top of the order permanently.The past decade has been full of hiccups, hurdles and hospital visits butWatson’s resilience got him through. Now it’s time for the rewards.