In a significant development ahead of the much-awaited Border-Gavaskar Trophy, former Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden has expressed concerns over the absence of David Warner, who recently announced his retirement from international cricket. Hayden believes that Warner’s dynamism and consistency will be sorely missed by the Australian team when they face India later this year.
David Warner, an aggressive left-handed opener, has been a stalwart for Australian cricket, having played 112 Tests and amassed an impressive 8786 runs at an average close to 45. His contributions to the team, particularly his ability to provide explosive starts, have been invaluable. Reflecting on Warner’s career, Hayden, who himself was a left-handed opener, remarked, “David Warner gave great service to Australian cricket. He was extremely competitive and wonderfully dynamic. He really took the legacy that I’d created through the 2000s. His strike rates in excess of 80 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’s record against India has been commendable, if not exceptional, with 1218 runs in 21 Tests against the subcontinental giants at an average of 31.23, including four centuries—all scored on Australian soil. His presence at the top of the order will undoubtedly be a void that the Australian team will find challenging to fill.
During his visit to Mumbai for the Ceat Cricket Rating Awards, Hayden also touched upon the potential replacement strategies. One of the propositions that has been on the table is to have Steve Smith open the innings. However, Hayden stands firmly against this idea. He 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 and has 30 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.”
Hayden’s remarks underline the challenges Australia faces as they gear up for one of the most fiercely contested series in international cricket. He also took the opportunity to praise current Australian captain Pat Cummins, suggesting that he could end up being one of the greatest captains his country has seen. “He’s a great of our game,” Hayden said. “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.”
Looking ahead, Hayden anticipates a thrilling series and advocates for a five-Test format to enhance the competitive edge of encounters between India and Australia. “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 get 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 series, beginning in Perth on November 22, will mark the first five-Test series between India and Australia since 1991/92. The series will then move to Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, and wrap up in Sydney. The stakes are incredibly high, with India having secured victories in the past two series down under, in 2018/19 and 2020/21. For Australia’s part, they have not held the Border-Gavaskar Trophy since the home series in 2014/15, making this a critical contest for both cricketing powerhouses.
As both teams prepare for what promises to be a riveting series, Hayden’s reflections and insights add another layer of anticipation to an already highly-anticipated cricketing showdown.