Rohit Sharma’s brave decision to bowl first in the third Test at The Gabba in Brisbane has perplexed Australian star Matthew Hayden. Hayden, who was known for his aggressive batting style during his playing days, warned that Rohit’s bet could be costly for India.
Matthew Hayden was surprised by India’s tactics and questioned the action, as the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 is now knotted at 1-1, and there aren’t even minuscule chances for either team to make a call that would give the opposing team an advantage.
The former Australian opener also claimed that Rohit Sharma’s decision to bowl first in the third Test at The Gabba was only influenced by the gloomy and humid conditions produced by heavy rain in the weeks leading up to the crucial Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 game in Brisbane.
It was going to be as good batting conditions: Matthew Hayden
Now, all eyes are on how the pitch performs and whether India’s gamble pays off, although Hayden is concerned about their chances following Rohit Sharma’s brave decision.
“I was really surprised that actually, Rohit Sharma won the toss and decided to bowl, because I felt like it was over-prepared. I thought it was because of how much weather. There were almost 12 inches of rain in the past two weeks. And so, we’ve got this showery pattern, and it’s been that way for a month and a bit.
So, the groundsmen would have been thinking, We’ve got to get our preparation in early, and that’s why I thought that it was going to be as good batting conditions as you’re going to see now in these first two days, with the view that it will break up and turn,” Hayden said on Star Sports.
Interestingly, India’s famous victory at The Gabba during the 2020-21 series saw them chase down a challenging mark of 300+ runs in the fourth innings against Australia.
Brisbane pitch cracks might influence result in fourth innings: Matthew Hayden
Hayden went on to predict that the opening two days of the Gabba Test would favor the batsmen, making India’s daring decision to field first dangerous.
Reflecting on previous encounters at Brisbane, the Australian legend noted how the surface tends to break down after the first few days, favoring spinners and making batting in the later stages more difficult.
He also stated that the Brisbane pitch, which has been damaged by recent rain, may start to slow but harden with typical Queensland conditions. He also stated that the spinners will play an important role in Brisbane, as cracks will form, making conditions difficult for hitters as the game develops.
“We’ve seen some great performances from spinners across the world at this venue, and if we do get decent weather—and that’s the fingers crossed at best because of the reasons I just mentioned—there are cracks in the wicket. The wicket was quite sluggish early; it will harden up a little bit, assuming that we do get the weather that, um, is typical of Queensland weather, which is perfect one day and even more perfect the next,” Hayden signed off.
Australia made 28/0 in 13.2 overs after day one was called off due to rain in Brisbane.
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