Matthew Hayden Urges South Africa to Show More Aggression in WTC Final
Hayden's Insights on Day One of the WTC Final
Former Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden emphasized that South Africa must adopt a more aggressive approach while batting on the second day of their ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia at Lord's.
The opening day saw a flurry of wickets, with only Steve Smith and Beau Webster managing to score fifties, as batters from both teams struggled. Kagiso Rabada's impressive five-wicket haul for South Africa stood out, alongside Mitchell Starc's crucial two wickets after Australia was dismissed for a modest total.
Hayden, serving as a JioStar expert, expressed skepticism about the notion that the day belonged entirely to Australia, suggesting it was more like 80% in favor of the defending champions due to South Africa's lack of batting intent.
“I’m not fully convinced it was Australia’s day. South Africa won the first session, but Australia’s comeback in the final session—taking nine wickets—was unexpected. The conditions were peculiar, alternating between cloudy and sunny. Batting should have been easier, yet it wasn’t. I’d estimate it was about 80% in Australia’s favor, primarily due to South Africa’s lack of aggression,” he remarked.
Hayden criticized South African captain Temba Bavuma for his lack of assertiveness, noting that he only opened his scoring after facing 31 balls.
“That’s perilous when up against three world-class fast bowlers in favorable conditions. They need to approach Day 2 with more intent. Any display of aggression, even a few boundaries late in the day, will be beneficial. If they fail to do so, Australia will enter Day 2 as strong favorites,” added the recent ICC Hall of Famer.
Former Indian all-rounder Sanjay Bangar, also a JioStar expert, stated that the first day clearly favored Australia, as South Africa's early wickets shifted the momentum back to the Aussies.
“Given the seam movement on this pitch, the scoreboard doesn’t reflect a competitive score. Australia is in a robust position,” he noted.
Bangar highlighted that the tactical acumen, confidence, and skill of former captain Graeme Smith, South Africa’s most successful captain, cannot be developed overnight. He urged the team to remain positive and focus on their footwork.
“Steve Smith was outstanding—he applied pressure back on the bowlers when conditions were challenging. Ngidi had an off day and conceded runs. Australia’s bowlers maintained tight lines. For South Africa to score effectively, they need to create width, which requires intent,” he concluded.
In terms of match progress, after Australia batted first, they found themselves at 67/4 by the end of the first session. A partnership of 79 runs between Steve Smith (66 off 112 balls, including 10 fours) and Beau Webster (72 off 92 balls, with 11 fours) helped Australia approach the 200-run mark. However, Kagiso Rabada (5/51) and Marco Jansen (3/49) kept the pressure on, limiting Australia to 212.
South Africa had a disastrous start, losing four wickets for just 43 runs by the end of the day, with none of their batters scoring over 20 runs. Mitchell Starc claimed two wickets, while Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood each took one. South Africa trails by 169 runs.