'Was he Exciting? No': Matthew Hayden Says Discarded India Star 'Sure Bet in Australian Conditions'

It’s been nearly a decade since India have kept hold of the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT). Twice each they have bested Australia at home and on away tours to prove their superiority. Australians have long been itching to win a Test series on Indian soil but their egos have been bruised further having finishing second-best in their own backyard twice in a row now.

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One of the primary reasons why India have either edged past Australia or denied them a win in closely contested affairs in recent times is due to some quality batting against some world-class bowling on challenging pitches. The contribution of a certain Cheteshwar Pujara comes to mind – a batter who has literally put his body on the line to deny Australia an opening. However, the Indian team has entered the transition period and the younger generation is now been given a chance to prove their mettle meaning veterans like Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane, considered past their prime, are no longer part of the national set-up.

These batters have in the past been a certainty for India especially on overseas tours and Australia legend Matthew Hayden feels that their absence does lend some balance between the two teams for the upcoming BGT that will see Rohit Sharma’s men aiming for a hat-trick of Test series wins Down Under.

“You look at the lineups, and it’s hard to really tell who has the edge,” Hayden said during an event in Mumbai. “I sense that it’s going to be runs that are going to be the point of difference. Guys that are sure bets have retired, like Pujara was a sure bet in Australian conditions.”

Pujara has a stellar record against Australia having scored 2074 runs in 25 Tests at 49.38 including five centuries and 11 fifties. With the changing landscape of Test cricket, his low strike-rate at a later stage though became a bone of contention. Hayden acknowledged the fact but added the middle-order batter was ‘effective’.

“Was he exciting? No. Was he effective? Heck, yes. When you look back over the years, guys like Raul Dravid, VVS Laxman… they were really sure bets in our market. The best need to stand up in this series, runs are going to be at a premium,” he said.