Renowned Australian cricketer, Matthew Hayden, has voiced strong concerns regarding the absence of David Warner in the imminent Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Warner, who recently announced his retirement from international cricket, leaves a significant void in the Australian lineup due to his dynamism and steadfast performance.
Having participated in 112 Tests for Australia, Warner has accumulated an impressive 8786 runs at an average nearing 45. These exceptional statistics underscore the consistency and firepower he provided, something Hayden believes will be sorely missed.
“David Warner gave a great service to Australian cricket,” remarked Hayden on Wednesday. “He was extremely competitive and wonderfully dynamic. He really took forward the legacy that I had started through the 2000s. His strike rates in excess of 80 gave significant momentum to the top order, which can otherwise be quite conservative. His absence leaves a considerable gap that won’t be easy to fill.”
Warner’s record against India is of particular interest as Australia gears up to face one of its fiercest rivals. In his 21 Tests against India, Warner has amassed 1218 runs at an average of 31.23, which includes four centuries—all of them scored on home soil where he has a total of 760 runs from 10 Tests.
Hayden, currently in Mumbai for the Ceat Cricket Rating Awards, has openly criticized the idea of positioning Steve Smith as an opener, suggesting that it might not be the best move. “The rationale that George Bailey [chief selector] gave was correct. He thought it was about choosing the best top six players. Now, you can’t argue with that. Steve Smith averages 56.97 and has 32 Test hundreds. However, the role of an opener is distinct from that of a middle-order batsman.
. Earlier in the year, during the series in New Zealand, we saw that this change didn’t quite work. I’ve always been skeptical about shifting the world’s best-in-class batter from his usual position to an entirely different one.”
On another note, Hayden also shared his admiration for the leadership of Pat Cummins, calling him one of the potential great captains of the Australian cricket team. Cummins, under whose captaincy Australia has clinched the World Cup and the World Test Championship, has shown a unique leadership style that greatly values individual preparation within the team framework.
“He’s a great of our game,” Hayden said of Cummins. “His leadership style is very different from the former captains who often used a carrot-and-stick approach. Cummins is more focused on drawing out the best from each player, something that team sports often struggle with. Over the past two years, I’ve closely watched this team, and they are extremely close-knit. Pat is a great leader, and he will go down in history as one of our greats,” Hayden explained.
Additionally, Hayden proposed that a five-Test series against India would be more thrilling than a shorter one. “It’s going to be an unbelievable series, made even more special by extending it to five Test matches. In three Test matches, you always feel unfinished; in four, there’s always that uncertainty. But with five Test matches, you get multiple opportunities to win, lose, and then make a comeback. It’s a beautiful setup that will undoubtedly result in a great series,” Hayden enthused.
Notably, India and Australia have not played a five-Test series since the 1991/92 season, adding an extra layer of anticipation to the upcoming matches. The series is set to kick off in Perth on November 22, followed by games in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, and concluding in Sydney on January 3. With India emerging victorious in the last two series held in Australia (2018/19 and 2020/21), the Aussies have not held the Border-Gavaskar Trophy since their home series win in the 2014/15 season.
As the cricketing world eagerly anticipates the clash, Matthew Hayden’s insights add a thoughtful perspective on what lies ahead for the Australian team in the absence of David Warner. His comments resonate with a blend of nostalgia, caution, and hope as Australia prepares for what promises to be a fiercely competitive series against India.