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Opinion
Despite being in-form with the bat in the Sheffield Shield, averaging 72.6 in his last six innings for WA, all-rounder Cameron Green wasn’t the one chosen to take the position of injured pace-bowling all-rounder Marcus Stoinis in Australia’s second ODI against India.
Coming off a score of 374/6 in the first innings of Game 1, Australian captain Aaron Finch felt that it would be best to bring in more of a bowling all-rounder in replacement of Stoinis.
Within the last 12 months, due to a stress fracture in his back in December 2019, Green hasn’t been able to bowl very often for Western Australia in Australian domestic cricket.
Having represented Australia on the international scene on 26 occasions and in all three formats, Moises Henriques made a much-anticipated return to international cricket to play his first ODI game since June of 2017.
When talking to Fox Cricket about the surprise inclusion, Finch stated, “It’s about the make-up of the side and probably the overs Moises can give us at the moment” and, “Cam (Green) has been bowling a little bit but just hasn’t gone to that next level in terms of the amount of overs that he’s bowled just yet”.
In 2013, Henriques became only the second Test cricketer of all-time to be born in Portugal, after moving to Australia at aged 9. In the 2019-20 Marsh One Day Cup, Henriques averaged 44.29 with the bat and 32.25 with the ball in seven games.
In the current Sheffield Shield season he is averaging 67.60 batting, but is yet to get a wicket in the 10 overs he bowled in the first three games.
Henriques’ only wickets so far in the current season (in domestic or first Grade cricket) came in the second round of the NSW Premier First Grade against Manly-Warringah for St George where he dismissed 2018-19 NSW U19 all-rounder Joel Foster and current Sydney Thunder up-and-coming talent Oliver Davies.
Henriques, in Game 2, got 2* off one, impressing the nation with his valiant efforts in the field and with ball in hand. After seven overs, Henriques got 1/34 at an economy of 4.86.
He also got the crucial wicket of Shreyas Iyer for 38, who was looking good at a strike rate of 105.56. In the field, he caught Indian captain Virat Kohli while at midwicket.
Henriques dived to his left to dismiss the Number 1 ODI Batsman in the world for 89 off of the bowling of Josh Hazlewood.
As a whole, Moises Henriques’ inclusion into the side was the right decision made by Aaron Finch and the selectors.
His bowling and fielding in his first game was just what Australia was desiring in an all-rounder, but we’ll have to see in upcoming games how he performs with the bat as well. Also, with David Warner injured, Cam Green is still in for a chance in Australia’s last game of the series.
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