Michael Clarke has scored five Test hundreds in 2012 and he says the key is getting through that initial nervous period, get to 30, adjust to the bowling and conditions and then cash in.

Australia’s No.4 batsman Shane Watson consistently gets the first part right but, with a record of 19 half-centuries and two hundreds, Watson’s poor conversion rate continues to dog him.

Clarke and Watson added 194 for Australia’s fourth wicket on day two of the second Test against Sri Lanka at the MCG on Thursday.

The skipper made 106 and Watson fell in the very next over, just at a time when there was a need for caution and consolidation.

Even worse was the manner of the dismissal as Watson saw two fielders placed on the leg-side boundary and played a hook shot anyway, holing out for 83.

But skipper Clarke has strongly defended his vice-captain, saying that most times Watson would have scored a boundary with the shot and he has the skipper’s backing to keep playing it.

Clarke is also putting his faith in what he’s seen from Watson at one-day international level where he’s scored six hundreds.

“It’s very exciting the way Watto played. He showed a lot of discipline in his shot selection,” Clarke said.

“Even the ball he got out on, as his captain, I’m not disappointed with his shot selection because he pulls and hooks as good as anybody in our team.

“Nine times out of 10, that will go for four or six. It was unfortunate today it went straight to the fielder.

“There’s been a lot of talk about Watto’s statistics in regards to hundreds scored.

“For me, it’s about Watto playing his best cricket because I’m confident if he’s doing that, he’ll make big hundreds.

“I have no doubt at all that he’ll score plenty of hundreds for Australia.”