Shane Watson’s debut as Test captain was as dramatic as the previous week. After missing the third Test in Mohali due to suspension and the birth of his son, Watson took over the reins of Australia in Delhi replacing an injured Michael Clarke.

Although he couldn’t avoid a 0-4 loss at the hands of the Indians, Australia’s stand-in captain managed to breathe life back into his team’s aggression, allowing them to fight better. Tempers frayed and the battle between bat and ball was gripping. In the end, India emerged victorious in three days by six wickets while chasing 155 to win.

At the end of the fourth Test, as Watson spoke to the media for the final time in the series, he spoke about his tactics as captain, his disappointment at being outplayed by India and his own poor running with the bat.

Here is an excerpt from his press conference:

The last hour

I thought we were definitely in the game. I knew if we got 150 and played well we would give ourselves a very good chance of winning the Test match. Unfortunately, things didn’t quite go well with the ball. If we had had a few more wickets earlier, the way the wicket was playing, it would have been a challenge for the new batsman coming in.

Pujara, “the thorn in the throat”

Cheteshwar Pujara batted very well throughout the series and did the same in the second innings. Until they had 20-15 points left, I felt like we had a chance if we took him out. The wicket was doing an awful lot – some balls were staying very low and some were flying off the ground. So we knew we could get started. But unfortunately, Pujara didn’t give us the opportunity to deliver that blow to India. This series was the first time we saw him first hand and he was incredibly impressive throughout the series. He masters his game and his ability to concentrate for long hours. He was certainly India’s most impressive performer and a big thorn in the throat.

The beating 0-4

We are extremely disappointed. We came here with high hopes, but in the end 4-0 was definitely what we deserved. India totally dominated us. We didn’t play to our best potential. We have young people who are still learning. It’s been a big learning curve for everyone to see how the wickets play and how to face quality spinners here. We learned a lot from this series. We need to improve very quickly.

Soul search

I’m one of the seniors on the team and I haven’t scored as many points as I would have liked. I knew how important it was for me to score for the team with kids learning around me. This, for me personally, was extremely disappointing considering I played a lot of cricket here and unfortunately didn’t score any runs, especially when the team needed it the most.

The first order failure

We, as top-order batsmen, were doing everything we could. If you see some of the layoffs, you will probably realize that it was difficult to get by. Sometimes a ball has your name on it and sometimes – like I did today – you just play a bad shot. The four of us, top-order batsmen, were disappointing. We all need to score points if we want to be considered in the top six and play consistently. We haven’t been able to do that in this series, especially in the first innings when conditions are best for batting. I put my hand up first because I believe as a senior batsman and leader I should set an example with Michael (Clarke). There is no doubt that Michael continues to be an incredible contributor and we should all strive for what Michael was able to achieve as a drummer.

Good old Australian aggression

I know that every time the Australian cricket team has played its best cricket, we have been aggressive, shown great intent, competed on every ball and made the opposition work for every run and every wicket. On the second day of this test we really came together as a group, we knew there was a line and we decided not to cross it, while still being part of the contest with every ball. That’s what I asked of the team as captain and the guys did that throughout the Test match. Even if the result didn’t suit us, we had a lot of fun and it’s also a big part of the game.

Captain’s Taste

I really loved it to be honest. Of course I’ll give it back because Michael is the man. But it was an absolute pleasure to be able to lead my country and I had a great time even if I couldn’t contribute by scoring points. Everything I asked of the team, they gave everything and that’s all you can ask for.

Following his suspension

It (his relationship with Clarke and coach Mickey Arthur) got a little rocky for a day, but after that things were very good. Michael and the management group had to make a decision and obviously at that point I wasn’t very happy about it. But we all sat down, had a great conversation and moved on. I’m really excited about the future that lies ahead. This was a boost for us, the “Mohali Four”, as we were called a few days ago. Coming back from home, it’s great to see the team come together.