Watson current flavour but Sachin's the best!

Defending Olympic, World and Commonwealth Games pole vault champion Hooker’s curiosity was piqued by the mere mention of the first Test between India and Australia, “Oh, the Test match…when it’s starting? Is it going to happen here?

“Cricket is quite big back in Australia like it is in India. This series is going to be a battle for the No 1 spot in Test cricket, isn’t it? India is the No 1 Test nation, right? Then it should be an interesting game out there. I will certainly follow it,” Hooker said.

So, who’s his favourite cricketer? He answers after a brief pause, “That’s a tough question mate! At the moment, I like Shane Watson. He is a fine cricketer.

“He can change the course of the game with both bat and ball. He is a fine fielder as well. I think he will play a big role in the series.”

But a question on his all-time favourite cricketer elicited a quick reply accompanied by a hearty laugh. “It has to be Sachin Tendulkar. Isn’t he the master? You have to admire him, awesome player!”