Matthew Hayden, one of Australia’s cricketing icons, has voiced his concerns about Australia’s prospects in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against India, citing the absence of the dynamic David Warner as a significant loss for the team. Warner, who recently announced his retirement from international cricket, has been an indomitable force for Australia, playing in 112 Tests and amassing 8786 runs with an impressive average close to 45.
“For the first time, it doesn’t feel as secure,” Hayden remarked during a recent interaction in Mumbai. “David Warner provided incredible service to Australian cricket. He was extremely competitive and wonderfully dynamic. He built upon the legacy I established during the 2000s. His strike rate of over 70 gave the top order a momentum that was otherwise lacking. So, I think he’s an enormous loss in terms of replacing that dynamism.”
Warner’s record against India has been notable, although not overwhelmingly dominant. He has played 21 Tests against the Indian side, scoring 1218 runs at an average of 31.23, with four centuries, all on home soil. In Australia, Warner has accumulated 760 runs in 10 Tests. Hayden’s caution is perhaps rooted in Warner’s ability to deliver significant innings when on familiar turf.
Hayden, who was attending the Ceat Cricket Rating Awards in Mumbai, expressed his reservations about the potential reshuffling of the Australian batting lineup, specifically discussing the idea of Steve Smith opening the batting. “The rationale that George Bailey [chief selector] gave was correct. He thought it was about selecting the best top six players,” Hayden said. “Now, you can’t argue with that. Steve Smith averages 56.97 and has 32 Test match hundreds. But the role of an opening batsman compared to a middle-order batsman is very different. Smith didn’t fare well as an opener in New Zealand earlier this year. I said at the time that I didn’t like the change.
. It’s crazy to put the world’s best-in-class batter in a certain position and then change it to a completely different one.”
Hayden also weighed in on Pat Cummins’ captaincy, predicting that Cummins is set to become one of Australia’s greatest captains. “He’s a great of our game,” Hayden said about Cummins, who has led Australia to victories in the World Cup and the World Test Championship. “He has a very special leadership style and ability. It’s very different from previous captains who used a carrot-and-stick approach. Cummins operates on a model that fosters individual preparation, something our team sport often struggles with. It’s ultimately about getting the best out of each individual. He has a slightly off-centre approach, and this team has been extremely close-knit under his leadership over the past two years. Pat is a great leader and will go down as one of our greats.”
The anticipation for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is already building, with Hayden suggesting that a five-Test series would bring more excitement than a three or four-Test series. “It’s going to be an unbelievable series,” Hayden emphasized. “Extending it to five Test matches makes it even more special. With three Test matches, you always feel incomplete; with four, there’s always a swinging boat. A five-Test series gives you a chance to win, lose, and then come back to win. I love it. It’s going to be a great series.”
India and Australia have not competed in a five-Test series since the 1991/92 season. The upcoming series will kick off in Perth on November 22, followed by matches in Adelaide starting December 6, Brisbane from December 14, Melbourne from December 26, and Sydney beginning January 3. Despite the prestige of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Australia hasn’t held it since the home series in 2014/15, with India winning the last two series on Australian soil in 2018/19 and 2020/21.
As the cricketing world waits with bated breath for this much-anticipated showdown, the challenge for Australia will not only be reclaiming the trophy but also navigating the considerable void left by Warner’s retirement. The series promises high drama, intense competition, and a further chapter in the storied rivalry between two cricketing giants.