Green's shifting priorities bely enviable bowling prowess

When Cameron Green took his second five-wicket haul in just his fifth first-class match back in 2018, suggestions the giant teenager might have a future as a frontline Test bowler were by no means outlandish.

By comparison, the three specialist quicks picked for this Boxing Day Test reached that same mark far slower than Green; it took Pat Cummins 25 first-class matches to get his second five-for, Scott Boland needed 26, while Mitchell Starc required 16.

That Green needed a further four years and 43 first-class games to celebrate his third five-for in first-class cricket – and his first in Tests – on Boxing Day underscores just how the priorities of the in-demand allrounder have changed.

Not, of course, in terms of his dedication to the longest format despite only three days ago earning the most lucrative T20 contract ever handed to an Australian cricketer when the Mumbai Indians bought him for a whopping $A3.15 million.

"I didn't do much to earn that – I just put my name into the auction," Green said to laughter after his 5-27 saw South Africa skittled for just 189 on day one of the second NRMA Insurance Test. "It doesn't change who I am or how I think, or the confidence I have in my cricket."

Rather, Green's shift in emphasis has been in how he conceives of himself as a cricketer.

Partly that was out necessity given the succession of lower-back complaints that curtailed the early part of his domestic career, suffering three major stress-fracture injuries before he had turned 21.

As he faced setback after setback with his bowling in those early days, Green grew into the type of cricketer Australia's Test side had desperately craved ever since the retirement of Shane Watson.

Just four games after he had run through the Tigers with the ball in Perth back in that 2018 Sheffield Shield clash, Green had his breakout match with the bat when he scored unbeaten knocks of 87 and 121 to save a four-day match against Queensland.

The hype over Green only escalated as he amassed five centuries and a first-class average around 50 by the time he won his first Test cap at the beginning of the 2020-21 home summer to face India.

Joining what he called the best bowling attack in world cricket was a blessing in one sense, not least in terms of having the option to tap into the minds of some of Australia's most credentialed Test bowlers – which he did in the lead-in to this Test.

"I had a really good chat to Patty (Cummins) the day before and he finds his rhythm when he bowls through to fourth or fifth stump, gets it through to the keeper," said Green, who took 4-8 in 28 balls including the wickets of top-scorers Kyle Verryenne and Marco Jansen in the space of three deliveries.

"He finds when it's kissing through and the keeper is taking it at a pretty good level, that's how you gauge how you're going – if you're bowling too straight and they keep hitting it back to you, you don't really know how you're going or how you're feeling.

"They were a couple of really good pointers that he gave me."

In another, his diminishing output of overs – at least compared to when he was a frontline quick with WA – has made bowling a challenge.

"I think your priorities change," said Green. "You take a lot of your care in your bowling when you're just a bowler.

"You have that rhythm because you're bowling 20 overs an innings basically – you don't really have to fight that.

"That's probably the main difference – the reduced overs, not knowing how you're really going when you bowl two or three-over spells.

"It's tough if you're trying to do both equally. You have to try and prioritise one of them, because you're going to put too much pressure on yourself if you try too hard at both.

"I try to prioritise my batting in the weeks leading up to the game. Then on game-day, you've hit plenty of balls that week, so it's prioritising your bowling and getting your body right, backing all the training you've done prior."

Nathan Lyon has noticed Green searching for confidence at times this summer, having sent down more than six overs in an innings just twice for a return of 2-144 from 32 overs leading into the Melbourne Test.

The West Australian has been working extensively on his technique with fill-in bowling coach Andre Adams.

"To be honest he may have been struggling a little bit there," Lyon told cricket.com.au after play on Monday.

"But we've got a really good playing group at the moment – this is the tightest main group I've ever been a part of.

"We've all got around him and everyone gets around everyone to be honest.

"He's going okay now and he's in a pretty good headspace now. He's had a pretty unbelievable week."

Green's admission that his batting hold priority over his bowling is nothing new.

But the fact he now has now registered Test and ODI five-wicket hauls before scoring the maiden international century he so desperately craves only underlines just how important a weapon with the ball he can be for Australia.

Men's NRMA Insurance Test Series v South Africa

First Test: Australia won by six wickets

Dec 26-30: Second Test, MCG, 10.30am AEDT

Jan 4-8: Third Test, SCG, 10.30am AEDT

Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Lance Morris, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner

South Africa squad: Dean Elgar (c), Temba Bavuma, Gerald Coetzee, Theunis de Bruyn, Sarel Eree, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Heinrich Klaasen, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne, Lizaad Williams, Khaya Zondo

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