In the realm of cricket, no name quite encapsulates the notions of dynamism and consistency as David Warner. The left-handed opener for Australia recently announced his retirement, leaving a void that, according to cricket legend Matthew Hayden, will be keenly felt during the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy later this year.
David Warner, who graced the field in 112 Test matches for Australia, amassed an impressive total of 8786 runs with an average close to 45. His presence in the team brought not just runs but a certain flair that was indispensable to Australia’s game plan.
“For the first time, it doesn’t feel as secure,” Hayden remarked on Wednesday, reflecting on Warner’s exit. “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.”
Indeed, Warner’s aggressive style at the top order contributed significantly to Australia’s overall performance, providing both stability and explosive starts. Warner has participated in 21 Tests against India, scoring 1218 runs at an average of 31.23. All four of Warner’s centuries against India came on Australian soil, where he has accumulated 760 runs in 10 Tests.
During a recent event in Mumbai, the Ceat Cricket Rating Awards, Hayden voiced his concerns about Australia’s options moving forward, particularly opposing the idea of moving Steve Smith to the opening position. Hayden elaborated, “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.”
Hayden’s reference to Smith’s brief stint as an opener earlier this year in New Zealand supports his hesitance. “It didn’t take long to discover that,” Hayden added, recalling Smith’s struggles.
. “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.”
Hayden also turned his attention to Australia’s captain, Pat Cummins, predicting that he will be remembered as one of the greatest captains in the history of Australian cricket. “He’s a great of our game,” Hayden said of Cummins, praising his leadership in winning 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 that were very much a carrot and stick type approach.”
“The way Cummins operates, he brings out the individual’s preparation in particular, something in which our game struggles, being a team sport. Ultimately, [it’s] how do 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.”
With the Border-Gavaskar Trophy extending to a five-Test series, Hayden anticipates a highly competitive tour. “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.”
Australia and India have not competed in a five-Test series since 1991/92, making this upcoming event all the more thrilling. The much-anticipated series kicks off in Perth on November 22 and will be followed by matches in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney. Notably, India has clinched victory in the last two series held in Australia, taking home the coveted Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2018/19 and 2020/21. Australia, on the other hand, has not held the trophy since 2014/15. This year, both teams will vie for supremacy in what promises to be an exhilarating series.