In the final Test match of Shane Watson's career, having been dismissed leg before in both innings, it was clear his LBW problem would define his career.
The Australian all-rounder had been dismissed 29-times LBW in his 109 Test match innings. As hard as he worked to overcome his struggles, it was something he could never conquer.
"I never really fully overcame it in the end," he said in an Ask Me Anything Q&A on Reddit.
"The last time I played Test cricket I got out lbw both times. It was always something I worked on incredibly hard. I don’t particularly like failing or losing - that’s how just how I am and how I’m built, so I tried really hard to eradicate that problem.
"I used to work incredibly hard technically on it, but one thing I probably didn’t work on was the mental aspect of what exactly was setting me up to expose myself to getting out that way regularly. That was a big challenge, but now I don’t really have to worry about it too much. The balls aren’t moving around as much in Twenty20 cricket."
By the end of his career, Watson had become the punchline of several jokes about his tendency to review seemingly straightforward LBW decisions. He admits he really struggled to adapt to the introduction of the decision review system.
"The review process I found challenging anyway, because growing up the umpire’s decision is always final. You don’t have to worry about whether you’re out or not,” Watson said.
"But as soon as the reviews come in, you have to change your whole understanding of exactly whether it’s out and the rules that go with the umpire’s call. It took me a while to realise why I hadn’t worked that out at all. I made a number of bad reviews, which in the end I just gave up on and realised the same thing as always: if the umpire gives you out, you’re out."
