Green set to find out his IPL value amid 'weird' summer
While allrounder Cameron Green is on the cusp of a major IPL deal, he's been left with a "weird" feeling after playing a minimal role in Australia's strong start to the home Test summer.
Green, 23, has attracted enormous interest ahead of the upcoming IPL player auction, but his obvious talents with bat and ball haven't been greatly required of late.
With Australia's top-order rampant against West Indies, No. 6 Green barely had a chance to spend time in the middle. He didn't bat in the Perth Test - his first at home - then only made 9 and 5 in Adelaide when declarations were in the air.
On a bowler-dominated Gabba surface, Green played fluently in the first innings for a run-a-ball 18 to briefly curb South Africa's quicks then faced just three deliveries as Australia staggered over the line in the chase.
He has also bowled just 32 overs across the three Tests, including three during the Gabba match. Green didn't play in the Sheffield Shield ahead of the Tests after being a late inclusion into Australia's T20 World Cup squad.
"It's definitely been a weird start to the summer for myself not having to do too much," Green told reporters. "Being an allrounder you're the guy to help out when the team needs. At the moment it feels like I'm not really needed.
"It's probably a sign of how well the team is playing. We've been winning games of cricket and that's what you want."
Green, however, remains confident he can have an impact if required in the pivotal Boxing Day Test against South Africa.
"All you can look at is how you are training and I feel in a pretty good space," he said. "I'm hitting the ball well. If you can't get much game time that's the only way you can tell how you are going. I feel pretty good in the nets."
He hasn't been entirely a spectator with Green's fielding in the gully a particular highlight in Brisbane, where he claimed several sharp catches and five overall.
The towering Green is perhaps an unusual presence behind the wicket but his agility and safe pair of hands have made him especially reliable.
"I was always in the slips, [gully is] pretty similar," he said. "The only change is in the gully you're watching the batter instead of the ball."
Even though he didn't spend much time batting on the much debated Gabba surface, which was deemed "below average" by match referee Richie Richardson, Green fronted a vicious short bouncer from tearaway Anrich Nortje which sailed over his head to the boundary for byes to end the match.
"He [Nortje] has shown what he can bring to the team...that raw pace," Green said. "You don't get to face it too much, facing 150 [kph]. I think most of the batters are happy they got to face that. If we can withstand that, and we know we can, it gives us a little insight into how to face him at the MCG."
After enjoying an unexpected few days off, Australia can clinch the series with victory in the traditional Boxing Day Test - the first between the countries since 2008.
"Three days to recharge is pretty invaluable. A lot of the guys were lucky enough to go home...been on the road for a long time. " Green said. "Very special [the Boxing Day Test]. The national anthem always gets to you, it's loud out there. We've had some special games there."