Watson claims opening berth

Simon Katich will be replaced by Shane Watson at the top of the order as Australia squeeze the allrounder into the side to face West Indies in Mumbai on Wednesday. Ricky Ponting confirmed the move today without naming the XI to open the team's Champions Trophy campaign.

Watson will partner Adam Gilchrist after impressing in Malaysia and he was further tested in the role during two warm-up games over the past week. "I've always felt that he has had a very good technique against the new ball and I think we've seen that in the games that he's played," Ponting told AAP. "He's got a good solid technique but he is big and strong enough to impose himself on the bowling at times and we've seen that in every practice match that he has played. He has slotted in nicely up there."

Ponting said Watson's presence in the starting side over the past couple of years had generally relied on him replacing Brad Hogg as an allrounder, but this time they would play together. "We've felt coming here that we needed to have both of these guys in the side," he said. "The only way we could do that was to play Watson as the third quick, which we felt left us a bit thin, or give him an opportunity to bat in the top six somewhere.

Ponting said Katich was unlucky and his strike-rate had contributed to his sacking. Katich has spent the past year as an opener, averaging 39.02 at 66.08 runs per 100 balls, but he has also had to deal with constant calls for him to be replaced.

"I'm not sure what his strike rate is, but that would probably have something to do with the reason we've gone the way that we have," Ponting said. Katich was particularly slow in the final of the Malaysian tri-series when he scored 25 from 66 balls. His removal from the role came on the day Steve Waugh said he deserved another chance.