The allrounder has re-established his batting credentials but it is his other skill that may be just as an important this summer

While Cameron Green admits he may one day have to put his second favourite skill on the backburner, the allrounder is eager to take up Pat Cummins’ summons for him to shoulder a greater bowling workload this summer.

Four years after making his Test debut against India in the 2020-21 home series, Green heads into the return bout as one of Australia’s most important players after justifying a promotion up the order when he posted a sparkling 174no against New Zealand earlier this year.

That came after he was squeezed out of the Test team by Mitch Marsh during last year’s Ashes series. Steve Smith taking on David Warner’s opening spot after the latter’s retirement in January freed up the No.4 position, two spots higher than where Green had spent the bulk of his initial Test stint.

Even more responsibility for the multi-skilled prodigy is now on the cards for the five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy series beginning at his home ground, Perth Stadium, on November 22.

Australia have been loath to over-bowl the towering paceman amid his ascension to becoming an all-format player, particularly given the lower back injuries he suffered during his younger years.

Green has made no secret that batting is the discipline that generally takes precedence in his preparation. While he acknowledges tough choices on bowling may eventually be a consideration, he insists that those calls are a long way down the road.

“I’ve thought about it as an ‘in 10 years’ time sort of thing’,” the 25-year-old told cricket.com.au when asked if he would consider giving away – or at least consider deprioritising – a bowling career that has so far netted him 35 Test wickets at 35.31. 

“But definitely at the moment I’m very happy to contribute as much as I can. Physically I’m in a really good place to be able to do that.

“We always laugh and joke between me and Mitch about who bowls those graveyard overs between the 70th and the 80th overs when the ball is not doing anything. We’ll wait and see how we do it this summer.

“But now my body’s in a really good place where I feel like I can contribute with bowling. Down the track it’s definitely an option but at the moment I’m very happy to be a genuine allrounder.”

That will be a major weapon for Cummins, the spearhead of an Australian bowling attack that won six out of seven Tests in under four days last summer (the one they lost also ended with a day to spare) and left little for Marsh and Green to do with the ball.

Marsh did not bowl more than nine overs in an innings all summer, while Green only topped that mark twice after being recalled for the Adelaide Test against West Indies, bowling 10 in an innings at the Gabba and 11 in an innings in Christchurch.

“In some ways we haven’t had to use them as much as we thought we would, which is a great thing,” Cummins said this week. “The last couple of summers have been pretty light (with) quick Test matches.

“I suspect this summer might be a bit different at times. We’ll be drawing on Cam Green and Mitch Marsh a bit more.

“Even someone like Cam basically started in Shield cricket as a bowler but hasn’t had to bowl heaps in Test matches. Now he is a few years older, I think we will be leaning on him a bit more.”

Both Green and the national selectors alike acknowledged one of the major factors in his breakthrough knock in Wellington in February was the decision for him to miss white-ball games in the lead-in to the NZ Test series.

The right-hander instead played a Sheffield Shield match for WA, peeling off an unbeaten 103 against Tasmania to ensure he headed across the ditch in prime red-ball form.

Coach Andrew McDonald has previously flagged the possibility of a similar approach ahead of the forthcoming India campaign, which sees Australia face Pakistan in home limited-overs games through early-November. 

But Green is committed to establishing himself in Australia’s white-ball sides given he remains only a fringe ODI and T20I player at present.

“Obviously had a bit of success with it last year,” said Green, who has been named in both white-ball squads for the next month’s tour of the United Kingdom and will be in consideration for next year’s ODI Champions Trophy.

“Having an extended break (from white-ball cricket) before a Test tour, it’s going to help for sure. I really enjoyed doing it last year and there’s potentially a chance to do it again this year.

“I obviously love playing for WA, playing Shield cricket is awesome, I think it’s the best preparation you can have for a Test tour.

“But at the same time you always want to play for Australia, especially when there always seems to be a World Cup or a Champions Trophy just around the corner.

“If you decide to not do a white-ball series, is it going to hurt your chances for the Champions Trophy, for example? There’s always these things you’ve got to weigh up. So it’s still up in the air.”