Former Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden believes that the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy will see the Australian team feeling the significant absence of David Warner’s dynamism and consistency. Warner, who has been a stalwart for the Australian side, recently announced his retirement from international cricket. Having played 112 Tests, the left-handed opener contributed a remarkable 8786 runs, maintaining an average close to 45, showcasing his invaluable presence at the top of the order.
Speaking on Wednesday, Hayden, who himself was a left-handed opening batsman, remarked, “For the first time, it doesn’t feel as secure. 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 him.”
Warner has had a substantial record against India, having played 21 Tests and accumulated 1218 runs at an average of 31.23, which includes four centuries, all scored in Australia. On home soil, he has garnered 760 runs from 10 Tests, further elaborating his dominance in familiar conditions.
Hayden, who was in Mumbai for the Ceat Cricket Rating Awards, also shared his views on the idea of Steve Smith replacing Warner as an opener, a move he is against. Hayden explained his position, stating, “The rationale that George Bailey [chief selector] gave was correct. 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.”
In addition to his comments on Warner, Hayden also voiced confidence in Pat Cummins’ potential to become one of Australia’s greatest captains. “He’s a great of our game,” Hayden said of Cummins, who has already led Australia to victories in 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.”
Hayden also shared his excitement over the format of the upcoming series, advocating for a five-Test series against India to enhance competitiveness. “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 highly anticipated Border-Gavaskar series between India and Australia is set to begin on November 22 in Perth. The series will continue with Tests in Adelaide (starting December 6), Brisbane (from December 14), Melbourne (from December 26), and Sydney (starting January 3). Notably, India has won the last two series in Australia in 2018/19 and 2020/21, with Australia yet to reclaim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy since their home series win in 2014/15. The series promises to be a thrilling contest as Australia looks to leverage their home advantage and India aims for a historic hat-trick of victories Down Under.