Aussies have the best pace attack ever, says Matthew Hayden

Former Australian opener Matthew Hayden says that captain Pat Cummins does everything right: he challenges the off-stump, uses the slope, and targets the top of the stumps, making batters play constantly

Hyderabad: Former Australian opener Matthew Hayden says that captain Pat Cummins does everything right: he challenges the off-stump, uses the slope, and targets the top of the stumps, making batters play constantly.

“Pat now has over 300 Test wickets despite not bowling for five and a half years due to injury. That’s extraordinary. The trio of Hazlewood, Cummins, and Starc might just be Australia’s best-ever pace attack—even better than McGrath, Gillespie, and Lee—because they’ve bowled more together, in more combinations,” Hayden said in a chat with JioHotStar on the ongoing ICC World Test Championship final between South Africa and Australia at Lord’s.

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“Add Nathan Lyon to the mix, and it’s an ‘awesome foursome.’ Australia did well to pull ahead despite pressure. South Africa fought back hard, making this a seesaw contest. It’s been a fantastic Test match so far, and Day 3 promises more drama,” he said.

“Looking at Day 2’s performance, an equal number of wickets have fallen over the two days. Batters seem a bit rusty in terms of Test match batting. The lateral movement has made footwork difficult—they’re getting hit on the pads and edging deliveries,” Hayden said.

“Bowlers have dominated this match. There hasn’t been a single century partnership yet, and that could make a huge difference in the fourth innings. Even if Australia gets a lead of 250, South Africa will need a 100-run stand and another 50-run partnership to stay in the game. Ironically, more wickets have fallen when the sun’s been out, not under overhead conditions. It speaks more about batting rust than exceptional bowling,” he said.

Hayden said Test match cricket would demand that players get comfortable with not scoring quickly—something that’s the opposite of what the shorter formats teach.
“T20 batting encourages moving away from the ball to create space and power, but in Tests, that becomes a weakness. Dismissals like those of Labuschagne, Green, and Webster all stemmed from not getting close to the ball,” he said.

“We were taught to ‘smell the leather’—to let the ball come under your eyes. In the longer format, that means moving towards the ball, not away from it. At the moment, there are clear technical deficiencies as these players readjust to Test cricket,” Hayden said.