Matthew Hayden Praises Team India; Reveals it Would Have Been Interesting to Face Virat Kohli
Nov 30, 2017 at 4:54 PM
Former Australian batsman Matthew Hayden has revealed it would have been a fascinating battle to watch out for the cricket fanatics if he has had been playing for Australia – to face Indian skipper Virat Kohli in the contemporary game.
“It would have been a great battle between the Australian side that I played in and Virat Kohli at the crease,” Hayden was quoted as saying by DNA.
On-field challenge:
(Read Also: I Haven’t Seen Any Indian Cricketer With as Much Intensity as Virat Kohli: Bishan Singh Bedi)
The Queensland-born 46-year-old Hayden further revealed Kohli might be struggling with his game owing to the daunting challenges in the competitive cricket, but the latter revealed Delhi-based cricketer has been consistent with the bat across formats.
“I think, like every player, Virat has got some challenges within his game that can, and have been, exploited. But still, he is an extremely consistent player,” Hayden maintained.
However, Hayden believes Kohli could be kept quiet in the Test arena while adding he has been working harder to give his best while donning the white jersey.
“Over the formats of the game, Test cricket would be where he would be most vulnerable. Statistics have proved that and something he will be working on really hard as well,” Hayden asserted.
Hayden hails Kohli:
Hayden heaped praise on Kohli for the spectacular run with the bat and as a skipper in general, as India is dominating the Test charts following brilliant performances mainly at the home conditions. It further can get justified with the battering average of 55.74 (ODIs) followed by 52.86 (T20Is) and 51.82 in Tests.
Pertinently, the veteran batsman remarked there are no major loopholes when it comes to Kohli’s batting in the top-flight cricket.
“I don’t think there are too many glaring weaknesses in Virat,” Hayden stated.
Dynamic as a leader:
(Read Further: Matthew Hayden Gives Hilarious Reply After Being Asked Why Was He in India Instead of Watching Ashes at Home)
Hayden, who reiterated Kohli, has a great vision towards the Indian cricket by lauding the efforts of the latter as a prominent figure and team leader.
“Virat is sitting fourth in the list with a win ratio of 61%. It’s no coincidence that currently, Virat is sitting as the fourth most successful captain of all times, statistically,” Hayden remarked.
The treasure trove of memories:
On the other side, Hayden further cherished the memories by reminiscing his old-days in the field of cricket when he played against the veterans of the game including legendary batsman Sachin Tendulkar and former skipper Sourav Ganguly followed by Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman.
“Like it was with a Laxman, a Dravid, a Tendulkar, a Ganguly, those great battles between our world-class side, and we had a side that’s probably focused and disciplined on each batsman,” Hayden added.
While observing the Indian cricket, Hayden reiterated the talent is coming through which has been a fascinating sign for the cricket in general and Team India in particular.
“They have come a long way since the early days when I started playing against India,” Hayden further concluded.
Hayden added the widely recognised format Indian Premier League (IPL) had been a major platform in boosting the morale of the youngsters.
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Hayden, who made his international debut against England at Manchester in May 1993, played 161 One-day Internationals followed by 103 Tests and nine Twenty20 Internationals.