Cricket: Watson blasting Aussies to glory

Australian cricketer Shane Watson bats as Sri Lankan wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara looks on. Photo / AP

All-rounder Shane Watson's belligerent one-day form makes him irreplaceable in the Australian squad, according to captain Michael Clarke.

After Wednesday's rapid-fire 69 off just 51 balls in the seven-wicket win over Sri Lanka at Kandy, Watson has blasted 363 runs at an average of 121 in his past four one-day innings.

The Queenslander, who is Australia's only name on the long list of nominations for the International Cricket Council's Cricketer of the Year award, has hardly looked back after posting a career-high 185no in Dhaka against Bangladesh in April - an innings that included a record-breaking 15 sixes.

And he continued his aversion to running between the wickets at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday, blasting six more maximums to take his total to 26 from his last four knocks.

"He's a bit lazy isn't he?" Clarke joked about Watson's stand-and-deliver style that has seen 80 per cent of those 363 runs come in boundaries or sixes.

"I think what Watto's doing so well is he's just backing his ability, he's playing his way.

"When the wicket's like that, you get a flat wicket with not much swing, there's not many attacks in the world that he won't take apart."

Watson's attack prompted Sri Lanka skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan to concede the hosts had tried to implement some restrictive plans on the opener.

"Shane Watson is the danger man," Dilshan said.

"I feel that he can change a game in five, six overs.

"We have to sit down and plan before the next couple of games. We did have a plan for him (on Wednesday), but will have to reassess what we are going to do to him and come back for the next game."

Clarke will be hoping any ploy by Sri Lanka fails however, given the importance he feels his vice-captain plays in a successful start to his era as Australia's leader.

"We're very lucky to have him at the top of the order and playing the way he's playing," Clarke said.

"He's a senior player in the team now and our vice-captain and there's high expectation from within the group and from Watto to be one of our leading run-scorers in this one-day series and the test series.

"We need him playing the way he's playing. It's a great strength of our team to have him and Brad Haddin, two very aggressive openers, at the top of the order."

Australia held their first training session at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium near the southern port city of Hambantota on Friday, ahead of Sunday's second one-day match at the venue.

It will be just the third match held at the ground after two clashes were played there in this year's World Cup.

Sri Lanka has only played at the ground in one of those games while it will be Australia's first match at the venue.

- AAP