Matthew Hayden, former Australian cricketer, has expressed concern over the Australian team’s prospects in the much-anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy later this year, voicing his belief that the absence of David Warner will be deeply felt. Warner, who recently hung up his boots from international cricket after an illustrious career encompassing 112 Tests, has left behind an indelible mark with his significant contributions, amassing 8,786 runs at an impressive average nearing 45.
“For the first time, it doesn’t feel as secure,” Hayden stated on Wednesday, reflecting on the void Warner leaves. A left-handed opener like Warner himself, Hayden added, “David Warner gave a great service to Australian cricket. He was extremely competitive, wonderfully dynamic. He really took that legacy that I’d created through the 2000s. His strike rates in excess of 80 (70.19) gave great momentum to the top order which, otherwise, is quite conservative. So I think he’s an enormous loss in terms of how do you replace them.”
Warner’s track record against India is also noteworthy. He has played 21 Tests against the subcontinental giants, scoring 1,218 runs at an average of 31.23, including four centuries. These performances, while formidable, were all registered at home in Australia, where he accumulated 760 runs from 10 Tests.
Hayden, who was in Mumbai for the Ceat Cricket Rating Awards, vehemently opposed the notion of Steve Smith as an opener, a strategy the Australian selectors had dabbled with earlier this year in New Zealand. “The rationale that George Bailey [chief selector] gave was correct,” Hayden conceded. “He thought it was about choosing his best top six players, batsman. Now, you can’t argue with that. Steve Smith averages 65 (56.97) and has 30 (32) Test match hundreds. You know the role of an opening batsman compared to a middle order batsman is very different. It didn’t take long to discover that [in New Zealand earlier in the year when Smith as an opener was not exactly a success]. I said at the time that I didn’t like the change.
. I think it’s crazy to think that you have the world’s best-in-class batter in a certain position. And then you change to a completely different position.”
While Warner’s departure casts a shadow, Hayden also spoke highly of current Australian captain Pat Cummins. “He’s a great of our game,” Hayden said of Cummins, who has led Australia to victories in both the World Cup and the World Test Championship (WTC). “He has a very special leadership style and ability. It’s very different from the former kind of captains of the Australian team that were very much a carrot and stick type approach. He’s operating on a model that’s bringing out the individuals’ preparation in particular, something in which I think our game struggles, being a team sport. Ultimately, [it’s] how you get the best out of an individual. He has a slightly off-centre approach. I followed this team now very closely over the last two years, and they’re an extremely close team. Pat is a great leader, and he will go down as one of our greats.”
Furthermore, Hayden is of the opinion that a lengthier five-Test series against India could add a thrilling dimension to the contest. “It’s going to be an unbelievable series and actually not without great minds coming together. It is even more special by extending it to five Test matches. In three Test matches you always feel half pregnant; in four Test matches there’s always that swinging boat whereas in five Test matches, you got a chance to win. You also get a chance to lose and then you get a chance to come back and win. I love it. It’s going to be a great series.”
The upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy will indeed mark a significant chapter in cricketing rivalry, with India and Australia not having played a five-Test series since 1991/92. The series will commence in Perth on November 22, followed by Tests in Adelaide (from December 6), Brisbane (from December 14), Melbourne (from December 26), and Sydney (from January 3). India have emerged victorious in the last two series held in Australia, in 2018/19 and in 2020/21, and Australia has not been able to reclaim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy since their home series win in 2014/15.
As the series looms, the cricketing world will keenly observe how Australia adapts to David Warner’s absence and whether they can reclaim the coveted trophy after nearly a decade.