Watson waits on perfect position

Shane Watson would like to stay at the top of Australia's Test order but is open to the idea of shuffling back to the middle to help cope with his bowling duties. The opener Phillip Hughes is gaining strong support for a return and Watson is more suited further down despite scoring three half-centuries after coming in for Hughes during the Ashes.

"It would be nice to be able to open," Watson said after landing in Sydney following his early departure from the India tour. "I loved the opportunity of opening in the Test matches during the Ashes. It will just be interesting to see how they try to balance my bowling. I'm back bowling a lot more now and I feel like I'm bowling quite well."

Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of selectors, remains unsure how to use Watson best. ''We're not fixed as to where [Watson] will bat, he is quite flexible," Hilditch said in the Sydney Morning Herald. "The advantage we've got with Shane is that he is proving himself to be quite a versatile player.''

Watson displayed his all-round skills during the one-day series in India, where he scored 256 runs and took 10 wickets to earn the Man-of-the-Series award. "It has been a nice reward personally for such a great tour for us as a group," he said. "For us to be able to win with quite a few setbacks we did have with a few injuries, it's really good for us."

Watson also stayed injury free and had the bonus of coming home a match early to prepare for the first Test against West Indies on November 26. "It's actually very rewarding to know that I've been able to get through the cricket that I have over the last few months especially," he said. He is not sure whether he will debut for New South Wales in the Sheffield Shield next week or be rested by Cricket Australia.