Matthew Hayden Critiques Australia's Batting After Ashes Defeat
Hayden's Strong Words on Australia's Performance
Sydney, Australia - Former Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden has expressed his disappointment with the performance of Australia's top-order batsmen, labeling their score as 'unacceptable' and criticizing Marnus Labuschagne, Usman Khawaja, and Cameron Green for their struggles with fundamental batting techniques.
These remarks followed Australia's defeat to England in the fourth Ashes Test, which concluded in just two days. Australia was dismissed for scores of 152 and 132 in both innings.
None of the Australian batsmen managed to score 50 runs in the match. Michael Neser was the highest scorer for Australia in the first innings, while Travis Head led the scoring in the second.
Hayden stated, 'That’s an unacceptable scorecard. I don’t care if there was 50 millimeters of grass. You need to perform better. Head, Weatherald, Labuschagne, Khawaja, Carey, Green; they all seem lost with their basic techniques. The only players showing technical proficiency are our bowlers. Why is that?' during an episode of the All Over Bar The Cricket podcast, as reported by a Media House.
He also expressed his lack of confidence in Australia's batting coach, Michael Di Venuto, suggesting that his presence has hindered the development of Australian Test cricket, particularly in adapting to subcontinental conditions. Hayden feels the batting has not evolved sufficiently beyond favorable pitches.
'I’m not a fan of him. It’s not personal,' Hayden remarked regarding Di Venuto. 'For too long, there has been an influence on batting within this group, and I don’t believe it has benefited the team’s development or the technical aspects of Test cricket. This is evident not just on green wickets but also in the subcontinent, where we have been competitive but lack the necessary skill sets to succeed in those conditions.'
'The faceless man in this cricket team is always a concern. Michael Di Venuto has been around for at least five years. We need fresh perspectives on how to approach the game,' he added.
In the match, England won the toss and chose to bowl first. Josh Tongue achieved England's first-ever five-wicket haul in a Boxing Day Test at the MCG, as Australia was bowled out for 152 runs in 45.2 overs. Michael Neser (35 runs off 49 balls, including seven fours) and Usman Khawaja (29 runs off 52 balls, with two fours) were the top scorers for Australia. Neser also formed a half-century partnership with Cameron Green (17) before a run-out triggered another collapse.
England was dismissed for 110 runs in their first innings, with Harry Brook (41 runs off 34 balls, including two fours and two sixes) and Gus Atkinson (28 runs off 35 balls, with three fours and a six) contributing significantly.
A combination of England's 'Bazball' strategy failing and the pitch being extremely challenging for batters allowed Neser (4/45) and local hero Scott Boland (3/30) to take easy wickets. England trailed by 42 runs.
In their second innings, Australia struggled again, further emphasizing the pitch's difficult nature. Only Travis Head (46 runs off 67 balls, with four boundaries) and Steve Smith (24* runs off 39 balls, with a four) managed to score over 20 runs, as Australia was bowled out for just 132 runs in 34.3 overs.
Australia set a target of 175 runs for England, leading by 174 runs. Brydon Carse (4/34) and captain Ben Stokes (3/24) were the standout bowlers for England.
During the chase, England began strongly with a half-century partnership between Zak Crawley (37 runs off 48 balls, with three fours and a six) and Ben Duckett (34 runs off 26 balls, with four boundaries and a six), followed by a 47-run partnership for the third wicket between Crawley and Jacob Bethell (40 runs off 46 balls, with five fours).
Australia did manage to fight back, reducing England from 112/2 to 165/6, but Harry Brook (18*) and Jamie Smith (3*) ultimately led their team to a memorable victory.