I was so excited when I heard the news, says Cameron Green on batting at number four in Tests

Adelaide, Jan 15 (IANS) Australia’s fast-bowling all-rounder Cameron Green said his initial feeling about hearing the news of batting at number four in Tests for Australia against the West Indies was of huge excitement and felt grateful about not having been slotted in as an opener.

Green had lost his place in the Test team to Mitchell Marsh during the Ashes in England in July last year, but is now all set to bat at number four with Steve Smith to open the batting in the series opener at Adelaide Oval on January 17. Green averages 65 as a number four batter for Western Australia in the Sheffield Shield.

"I was so excited when I heard the news. I thought I was about a 95 per cent chance of opening, so that's where my head went for a couple of weeks and I'm grateful to be at four. What I like is I've got a bit of time."

"I've always felt a touch rushed at six, especially after 'Heady' who makes it look a bit too easy at number five. So I've always felt like I've had to push the game along, whereas I feel like number four is my natural game where I can take my time and get settled in," Green was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.

Green felt his time out of the playing eleven in Tests also gave him an opportunity to work on his game and is now ready to take up all-rounder duties in Adelaide. "Definitely still an allrounder. I've been doing it for WA for a few years, bowling a full quota (of overs) as well as batting at four so I've got no issue keeping the same load up."

"It had been a whirlwind couple of years, and hadn't really had a chance to sit down and think about my own game and where to go from here. There's always a silver lining to not being in the team, and having a bit of time in the nets to work on my own game and try to improve."

"I just felt like I needed a long net yesterday. It's always tough to replicate time in the middle, that's the unfortunate things of not playing. You spend time in the nets and it might take you 20 or 30 balls out in the middle on game day to get back in the rhythm. But we've played a lot of cricket in the last few years, so it won't take too long."

Green further said he will go his own way in transitioning to batting at number four in Tests. "I try not to learn too much from other guys because I feel like I'm a different player to a lot of them. So you try and bat like 'Smudge' (Smith) and 'Marn' (Marnus Labuschagne), but obviously I'm a bit different physically to them."

"Same as Mitch (Marsh), I've just loved how much he's enjoying his game at the moment and it seems like he's in a really good place. I don't feel any pressure. Obviously replacing someone like Steve (Smith) is pretty tough, but I'm just going to play my own way."

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