Cameron Green is adamant his $3 million pre-Christmas financial institution stability increase wasn‘t the performance enhancing reason for a five-wicket Boxing Day haul which helped him set a personal career-best.
Instead it was a chat with captain Pat Cummins about finding his bowling rhythm after riding the mental rollercoaster of a lack of output through the early stages of summer dominated by the home team.
Green has endured days of very “kind-natured” ribbing from his teammates, nominating Usman Khawaja as chief offender, since he was snapped up for a record $3.15 million in the Indian Premier League auction.
The 23-year-old said he didn’t do a lot to earn the huge payday, simply “put my name in the auction and it just happened”, making a whirlwind lead-in to the Boxing Day Test.
But Green mentioned he by no means misplaced his focus in ideas of spending the life-changing sums of cash, aided by his fellow gamers “who can bring you back pretty quickly when they want to”.
Having additionally declared pre-game he felt like he hadn’t carried out a lot within the three Tests earlier than heading to Melbourne, Green mentioned his haul of 5-24 on the opening day on the MCG, his first-ever five-wicket haul in exams, days after incomes the mega-deal, was an eye-opener to the swings and roundabouts {of professional} spot.
“I think that‘s probably cricket summed up. You can have a really slow start to the summer and you think cricket’s so tough and then you kind of have a few days like this and kind of brings you back,” Green mentioned after spearheading Australia’s day one demolition of South Africa.
“At the same time when you go through your highs cricket can bring you down pretty quickly.
“I haven‘t really put too much thought into (the auction). Obviously, the main focus of the team is on Test cricket. You always look forward to it, throughout the whole summer, Test cricket.
“It doesn’t change who I am, and all the confidence I have in my cricket so yeah, hopefully I didn’t change too much.”
Green had been placed on a restricted bowling program coming into the Test summer time and whereas he rolled out 23 overs within the first Test in opposition to the West Indies in Perth, he was wanted for simply 9 within the subsequent two matches of the summer time.
He mentioned that lack of on-field work left him uncertain how he was going with the ball, earlier than a chat with captain Cummins helped steer him to bowling headspace, and the outcomes flowed on Boxing Day.
“He kind of finds his rhythm when he bowls the fourth and fifth stump, gets the ball kissing through to the keeper,” Green mentioned.
“If you‘re bowling too straight and having them pad it back to you don’t really know how you’re going and how you’re feeling.
“I‘m also very grateful that I’m bowling behind the four best bowlers in the world. So, yeah, that’s a good thing.
“I think it‘s just finding that rhythm. I think it’s been a pretty slow start to the summer and I just wanted to bowl a few (overs) so I was basically in the game.
“I got a few today. So that‘s a very special feeling. And I’m sure I will remember that for a very long time.”
