He’s one of Australia’s most maligned cricketers, yet Shane Watson still stands among the country’s best Test allrounders as far as statistics go.

The 34-year-old’s international career is on a knife-edge after he was reportedly dumped from the second Ashes Test against England on Thursday.

His axing received a mixed reaction – mostly derision from the public but some support from ex-players, including former Test teammate Matthew Hayden who said he should be given one more chance to prove himself.

Watson managed only 19 runs in the second innings of the first Test, in which he resembled a schoolboy “looking for his grade-one lunch money” according to retired Australian wicketkeeper Ian Healy.

While he’s averaged just 26.91 with the bat and 53.50 with the ball over the past 12 months, his recent poor form doesn’t speak for his red-ball career as a whole.

Watson has posted 3731 runs at an average of 35.19 over 59 Tests, and 75 wickets at an average of 33.68.

To many, these numbers justify his tag as a perennial underachiever.

But comparatively, they’re not so bad.

He is one of just five Australians to have taken 75 or more Test wickets and averaged better than 35 with the bat.

Better still, he is one of only three to have scored more than 3000 runs (3731) and take 75 wickets – the others being Steve Waugh and Shane Warne.

Just 14 players have scored more than 3700 Test runs and taken more than 75 Test wickets, but only three of those numbers at an average of better than 35 with the bat and under 34 with the ball – Jacques Kallis, Waugh and Watson.

A GLANCE AT SHANE WATSON’S TEST CAREER STATS

* 59 Tests (debut v Pakistan, Jan 2-5, 2005)

* 3731 runs at an average of 35.19

* 75 wickets at an average of 33.68

* One of five Australians with 75 or more Test wickets and averaged better than 35 with the bat – alongside Keith Miller, Steve Waugh, Warwick Armstrong, Jack Gregory

* One of three Australians to have scored more than 3000 runs and taken 75 wickets – alongside Steve Waugh and Shane Warne

* One of 14 players to have scored more than 3700 Test runs and taken more than 75 Test wickets:

Jacques Kallis – 13289 runs at 55.37, 292 wickets at 32.65

Steve Waugh – 10927 runs at 51.06, 92 wickets at 37.44

Garfield Sobers – 8032 runs at 57.78, 235 wickets at 34.03

Wally Hammond – 7249 runs at 58.45, 83 wickets at 37.80

Sanath Jayasuriya – 6973 runs at 40.07, 98 wickets at 34.34

Carl Hooper – 5762 runs at 36.46, 114 wickets at 49.42

Kapil Dev – 5248 runs at 31.05, 434 wickets at 29.64

Ian Botham – 5200 runs at 33.54, 383 wickets at 28.40

Daniel Vettori – 4531 runs at 30.00, 362 wickets at 34.36

Andrew Flintoff – 3845 runs at 31.77, 226 wickets at 32.78

Ravi Shastri – 3830 runs at 35.79, 151 wickets at 40.96

Imran Khan – 3807 runs at 37.69, 362 wickets at 22.81

Shaun Pollock – 3781 runs at 32.31, 421 wickets at 23.11

Shane Watson – 3731 runs at 35.19, 75 wickets at 33.68