Shane Watson wants to retain his new role as Australia’s Test opener, even if it means going out to bat feeling exhausted only 10 minutes after completing a pace-bowling stint.

Watson returned to Sydney on Thursday looking fresh and enthusiastic despite a gruelling recent campaign which has included opening the batting for Australia in the final three Ashes Tests and playing key roles in one-day tournament wins in England and India and Australia’s successful Champions Trophy defence.

Thrilled at his new-found durability after a long history of injury setbacks, the 28-year-old is now facing a new battle to hold onto the opening spot. Selection boss Andrew Hilditch says Watson needs to be flexible about where he bats in the Test side and says Phillip Hughes is being strongly considered.

Watson scored 240 runs at 48.00 as opener in Australia’s Ashes team after Hughes was dropped, is now preparing himself for a possible move back to No.6 to accommodate the dashing strokeplay of the 20-year-old left-hander.

Australia’s three-Test series against the West Indies starts in Brisbane on November 26.

After being named overnight as the player of the series in Australia’s 4-2 ODI series win in India, Watson has been told by Cricket Australia to rest from next week’s Sheffield Shield game between his new home state NSW and Tasmania at the SCG.

While his schedule for next week has become clearer, his role on November 26 remains a mystery.

“I’m not sure (about Brisbane). It would be nice to be able to open,” Queensland-born Watson told reporters on Thursday.

“I’m back bowling a lot more now and I feel like I’m bowling quite well.

“I suppose it will just be a juggling act with my bowling. So I’ll just have to wait and see what the selectors think.

“In a perfect world, to be able to get the best out of myself as an all-rounder, there’s no doubt batting in the middle order would probably balance out for me a little bit better.

“I’m loving the opportunity to open the batting. It’s such a great challenge for my game, for my batting.

“At the moment I’m very happy there. But if I do get moved down the order, that’s going to mean I can probably bowl a little bit more as well.

“If I’m bowling the overs that I want to and that Ricky (Ponting) wants me to bowl, I’m going to be fatigued no matter what, even if I’m batting at five or six anyway,” added Watson, who could mirror Andrew Flintoff’s all-round impact on Test cricket according to Ponting.

“It’s just something that I’m used to I suppose, batting under fatigue because of the bowling that I’ve done throughout my career.

“It’s about trying to find the perfect balance and stay as fresh as I possibly can.”

Watson was allowed to skip the seventh match of the ODI series in India which was washed out in Mumbai overnight. He says to win the tournament despite having key bowlers Brett Lee, Peter Siddle and James Hopes sent home injured was an “amazing achievement”.

© AAP 2012

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