Fortunate to get some opportunities to bat up the order and score some runs, expresses Sean Abbott

The bowling all-rounder Sean Abbott, who was named in Australia's Test squad to face India, had just scored a solitary fifty in the Sheffield Shield during the 2017-18 and 2018-19 first-class seasons respectively. He then followed it up with improved performance in the 2019-20 Sheffield Shield season, averaging 33.28. However, this season has turned out to be a massive step from the last season as the all-rounder scored his maiden first-class ton against Tasmania, averaging a staggering 130.5 with the bat in the ongoing Sheffield Shield tournament, despite primarily being a seam-bowler. 

Abbott expressed that he was fortunate to get the opportunity to bat higher up in the order and get some runs under his belt. 

"I certainly didn't think I'd be batting at seven (for NSW) when (a few years ago) I was going out as nightwatchman and doing Nathan Lyon's job. It just sort of happened; I worked on my batting, I got better, I got some opportunities bat up the order and scored some runs. I'm pretty fortunate that it worked out that way... they saw the way I was batting at training and they backed me in and believed in my ability to go back up the order," Abbott said as quoted by Cricbuzz. 

Abbott, who is yet to make his Test debut, stated that if an opportunity comes up to bat higher up the order for Australia, he would grab it with both hands. 

"If there's an opportunity to bat higher up the order and the selectors and Painey think I can do that job, I won't even think twice about it. I'd definitely say... if a bowling spot came up, I'd be more in line for that one as opposed to someone who can bat at six or seven. But we'll have to wait and see," he added. 

Along with his impressive performances with the bat, Abbott has been in fine form with the ball as well, bagging 14 wickets at an average of just under 18 in the current season of Sheffield Shield.