Australia coach Tim Nielsen says Shane Watson will feel a "weight off his shoulders" if he goes on to make his maiden Test ton against the West Indies at Adelaide Oval on tomorrow.

Watson, whose position in the top order has been scrutinized since he replaced Phil Hughes in the side, scored an unbeaten 96 on day two of the second Test.

Nielsen said the all-rounder was highly rated within the Australian camp but felt the pressure of public expectation when he took to the crease.

"I think the biggest thing about succeeding at the international level is just understanding you can do it and experiencing it and tomorrow if he can get across the line for this first hundred that'll take that doubt away from him and then the sky is the limit," Nielsen said.

"You've seen him make more than one one-day international hundred now, he made consecutive ones in the Champions Trophy. The belief is a massive part and that's one step of it tomorrow."

"He's been injured a couple of times and because of those doubts created publicly he's had to ride a bit of a rough ride in the public world I suppose, in the media, and what people's perceptions of him are."

Watson is reportedly 'stiff, sore and mentally worn out' after a day and half in the field followed by 48 overs with the bat in hand.

But Nielsen was confident the Australians are not over-using their once injury-prone all-rounder.

"It's just a bit of a juggling act and at the moment it's working nicely," he said.

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"In the end we pick him as the fourth bowler and if we need to use him, we use him. We are careful about the workload he's going through, it's similar for any opening batsman, it's hard work going out after having fielded for eight or nine hours and having to back up and face the new ball straight away."

West Indian batsman and former Queensland team-mate Brendan Nash said Watson was looking 'quite accomplished' and had obviously worked hard to improve his batting.

"That work looks like it's paying off and is coming through for him," Nash said.

"I noticed he's changed his stance but I guess looking at him batting in the top order or opening ... I think he's really had to tighten up and actually look to hit straight I guess."

"His driving is looking very solid. He's obviously a very good hooker and puller of the ball so we are going to have our work cut out."