Bollinger loves a stoush

Ronny Lerner, Sportal

The fiery exchanges between Australian opening batsman Shane Watson and emerging Pakistani paceman Mohammad Aamer are good for the game, according to Doug Bollinger.

The pair were involved in some entertaining byplay during the final session on day three of the Boxing Day Test at the MCG with the standout incident coming when Aamer rocketed a bouncer into Watson's shoulder in the 12th over.

Watson failed to get out of its path in time and ended up on the ground, prompting Aamer to mockingly blow Watson a kiss and clap his hands in front of the opener.

"It's good for the crowds, it's good for the game," said Bollinger after the day's play.

"We don't want anything like what happened to come out again," he said in reference to the heated clashes with the West Indies that led to four Aussies, himself included, fined or reprimanded. "But it's good for a bit of fire and flair to come out."

"He (Aamer) bowls fast and fast bowlers are meant to be angry and have a bit to say and 'Watto' batted well and stepped up."

"I think it's the old opening bowler-opening batter situation."

"You know, you have a new ball in your hand and you get a bit of fire and you have no-one else to blow up at so you blow up at the batsman."

Watson scored Australia's 21st half-century of the summer in the final session and remains unbeaten on 64.

The hosts are still in search of their first ton for the season after a bevy of near-misses, three of which have been produced by Watson who scored 96 and 89 against the West Indies before being run out for 93 on Boxing Day after a comical mix-up with Simon Katich.

However, Bollinger believes the prospect of a maiden Test ton will sit easy with Watson overnight.

"He'll sleep pretty sound, some of the boys are tired, we've been working hard but I think he'll be alright he looks really sharp there and I think he really wants a 100 like most of us," Bollinger said of Watson who has now scored seven fifties in 12 innings this year.

Bollinger ended up with figures of 3-50 and was pleased with the pivotal role he played in dismissing Pakistan at tea for 258 in response to Australia's first-dig 5-454 (declared) when he snared three wickets in four overs with the second new ball.

Skipper Ricky Ponting took the second new ball as soon as it became available and Bollinger re-entered the attack with immediate results as he dismissed nightwatchman Aamer (15), Kamran Akmal (12) and Abdur Rauf (three).

"It was pretty hard work but I am really happy the way all of us stuck together and bowled them out," Bollinger said.

"I didn't think I was going to get a wicket there but I was happy to get three and come in confident, hopefully we can knock them over in the following days."

And Bollinger is confident the wicket will help Australia do just that.

"The new ball's harder and it comes on a lot more but I think it's going to get lower on the following days and that will be beneficial for us as it will be harder to score," he said.


"You just have to keep it simple, just bash away as hard as you can, I don't know, try and get the ball to swing as much as you can reverse."

"I think we have to try and hit good areas and make them play low and hopefully some will stay low and we'll get a couple of lbws or bowleds."