Shane Watson’s body language is a dead give-away when things are going badly.
The injury-plagued allrounder has copped it from various critics over the years.
He doesn’t convert enough half-centuries into hundreds.
He keeps breaking down.
On top of that, he played in Australia’s three consecutive Ashes-series defeats in 2009, 2010/11 and 2013.
That all changed on Tuesday night when the 32-year-old walked onto the WACA Ground to sing the team song with his mates, a few hours after the third Test was over.
Australia had regained the Ashes and Watson had scored a hundred in the match.
His wife Lee Furlong and baby boy Will had celebrated in the change rooms with Watson and now it was time to sing a song and have a beer out on the ground.
“Even eight or nine months ago we probably wouldn’t have thought that we’d be in this position,” Watson said.
“It’s the most special change room I’ve ever been involved in.
“To be able to win the Ashes by the third Test, it’s something you only really ever imagine to be able to experience what we’re feeling at the moment.
“This is my fourth (Ashes) series now. I’ve been on the wrong side of three other series.
“It’s hard to believe.”
Peter Siddle, Brad Haddin and skipper Michael Clarke had also played in three consecutive losing Ashes series, although Clarke was also part of Australia’s winning side in 2006/07.
“I’ve lost three and to finally get one, it’s just an amazing feeling,” Siddle said.
Haddin, 36, said he felt a sense of relief. And it had been a long time coming.
“This is the most amazing feeling I’ve had in my cricket career,” the 52-Test veteran said.
Haddin praised first-year mentor Darren Lehmann.
“We came into this campaign a lot more settled,” Haddin said.
“From day one things have felt a lot more relaxed and we’ve understood where Darren has wanted to take us and the style of cricket we’ve wanted to play.”
The Australians managed to have a boozy celebration on the ground without urinating on the pitch, unlike their English counterparts in August at The Oval.
