Shane Watson during a practice session in Mumbai on Friday. (AFP)

Mumbai: Shane Watson made his ODI debut way back in 2002 but a series of injuries (mainly to the back) has meant the 28-year-old Queenslander has taken quite some time to establish himself as an all-rounder of repute at the international level.

With Australia sending a young team to India, the pressure will be on Watson to step up and deliver in the upcoming one-day series. If Watson’s demeanour and speech during the pre-series media interaction is any indication, he is thoroughly enjoying the responsibility.

The following are excerpts

On whether there was an additional burden on him given that the team is a young one

Not any more pressure... No doubt we’ve got a younger side but I have been around for eight years now. My aim is to make the most of the opportunity by performing consistently. Besides, guys like Tim Paine have been developing and to see him do brilliantly in the Champions Trophy was exciting, to me and to the team as a whole.

Any change in his role…

It’s a lot different now. I am opening the bowling and batting. I have to score runs and also get wickets and check the runs in Powerplay… I have to look after myself (to avoid recurrence of the back injury), and, so, the idea is to bowl fast short spells

His experience of playing in India…

It is one of the most challenging countries to tour, with the ball reversing and turning so much. It will help in the development of our younger cricketers. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the right result last time around (in the 2008-09 Test series) so we are keen to win this series.

On whether he expects the Indian crowd to be unfriendly…

Not at all; my experience with the Indian crowd has always been good. They can get patriotic about their team and they do love to get involved, but I have been here a couple of times and have been lucky.

On a settled batting slot

I have been opening in the one-dayers and have been enjoying the challenge. It is even more so in Test cricket, to face up to Andrew Flintoff and Steve Harmison (in the Ashes series) was a huge challenge, mentally and technically. Honestly, it (position in the batting order) doesn’t worry me. I have been through playing at a number of slots, whether it is number four or six, I believe I have got the game and technique to do well.

Injuries and his career…

I would probably not have been the cricketer I am today if not for the injuries. They have helped me develop as a person and really turned me into the kind of cricketer I am now, opening both the bowling and the batting. I wouldn’t want to try to change that for any reason.

Did you think you were under-sold (for $125,000) in the IPL auction?

Not at that stage… I hadn’t played much leading up to it and getting to play under Warne’s guidance was a lucky break for me. He has been heavily involved in my development and to be under his tutelage was great.

Posing nude for a photo-shoot…

That was for the Glenn McGrath Foundation calendar and I was not entirely nude, just had the shirt off. It’s a great cause and such a big charity back home.