Australian hopes of a fightback in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy series took a nosedive Monday with vice-captain Shane Watson flying home to Sydney after he and three others were benched for the upcoming third Test in Mohali for disciplinary reasons by head coach Mickey Arthur.
Trailing 0-2 against resurgent India, the touring Aussies were jolted by Watson’s step and the benching of fast bowlers James Pattinson and Mitchell Johnson, and reserve batsman Usman Khwaja. The four were dropped for failing to show how to improve their own as well as the team’s performance after the rout in the Hyderabad Test.
Australia are now left with 13 players to choose the XI for the Mohali Test.
On Monday, Watson travelled to the PCA Stadium for a practice session, then returned to the team hotel, checked out and headed for Chandigarh airport on his way home to his wife, who is expecting their first child.
Cricket Australia said Watson was going home to be with pregnant wife Lee Furlong, but the batsman said his hands were forced, and he would now have to reconsider his future.
“I was about to communicate that (he wanted to fly home ahead of the fourth Test in New Delhi) to Mickey and the leadership group today, but they obviously beat me to it by telling me I was not selected for this Test,” Watson said. Australian captain Michael Clarke, however, supported Arthur’s drastic action.