Australian cricket legend Matthew Hayden believes the national team will sorely miss the dynamism and consistency of veteran opener David Warner in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy later this year. Warner, who played in 112 Tests for Australia, amassing an impressive 8786 runs at an average of nearly 45, recently announced his retirement from international cricket, leaving a significant void in the team.
“For the first time, it doesn’t feel as secure,” Hayden, himself a former left-handed opener, remarked on Wednesday. “David Warner gave a great service to Australian cricket. He was extremely competitive and 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 is otherwise quite conservative. So I think he’s an enormous loss in terms of how you replace them.”
Warner’s statistics against India further underscore his value. In 21 Tests opposing the subcontinental giants, he scored 1218 runs with an average of 31.23, including four centuries—all achieved in Australia, where he accumulated 760 runs in 10 Tests. Such numbers highlight the challenge Australia will face in filling the enormous shoes Warner leaves behind.
Hayden, who was in Mumbai to attend the Ceat Cricket Rating Awards, expressed a particular concern about opening strategies, specifically opposing the idea of having Steve Smith step into Warner’s vacancy at the top. “The rationale that George Bailey [chief selector] provided was correct. He thought it was about choosing his best top six players,” observed Hayden.
“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, where Smith’s stint 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 place the world’s best-in-class batter in a certain position and then change to a completely different position,” Hayden argued, reflecting apprehension about potential lineup experiments.
Moreover, Hayden heaped praise on Pat Cummins, forecasting him to become one of Australia’s greatest captains. “He’s a great of our game,” Hayden remarked, alluding to Cummins’ achievements, including victories in both the World Cup and World Test Championship (WTC) as captain. “He has a very special leadership style and ability. It’s very different from the former kind of captains of the Australian team, who subscribed to a carrot and stick approach.”
Hayden continued, “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’ve followed this team 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.”
Another area where Hayden expects changes is the series format. He advocates for having a five-Test series rather than limiting it to three or four Tests. “It’s going to be an unbelievable series, and it gets 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’ve got a chance to win, you also get a chance to lose, and then you get to come back and win. I love it. It’s going to be a great series.”
The Indian tour, which hasn’t featured a five-Test series since 1991/92, is set to begin in Perth on November 22. Subsequent matches will be held in Adelaide (from December 6), Brisbane (from December 14), Melbourne (from December 26), and Sydney (from January 3). India has won the last two series in Australia, in 2018/19 and 2020/21, making this upcoming face-off a highly anticipated showdown with the Australians eager to reclaim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after over a decade of longing.