Matthew Hayden: The pitches have been substandard

03/13/2017

Matthew Hayden has called the pitches used in the Border-Gavaskar series, so far, “substandard”. The former Australian opener, however, added that both teams have produced good cricket despite the pitch conditions and has praised youngster Matthew Renshaw for his stellar showing on the tour so far.

Hayden feels that India do not need such wickets to win games. He said, “I have already said that the Test matches were on substandard pitches. It's strange because India are good enough to play on good surfaces which naturally break up and start to turn. The fact that Lyon took eight in the first innings of a Test match says it all.”

Despite the disappointing wickets at Pune and Bengaluru, both the Test matches have seen some intriguing cricket being played. Hayden also reserved special praises for Matt Renshaw, whose performances on the tour have seen comparisons being drawn with Hayden.

“The series has been excellent in spite of once again being played on substandard pitches. These teams have fought extremely hard, particularly in the second Test match. For Australia, Matt Renshaw has made the difference in this series.He has absorbed enormous pressure on difficult batting conditions and for a man of just 20 years, he has shown class and maturity," Hayden told Cricbuzz.

“Yes, the batting style and posture [of Renshaw] are identical. But I believe Matt will do it his way and will improve in all conditions around the world with time and experience.”

There has also been a lot of talk about the lack of sweep shots being played by the Australian batsmen these days. Hayden said that, although it is a vital shot to develop in the subcontinent, it should not be forced on anyone who is not comfortable playing it.

“The sweep shot is vital to have on Indian conditions, but having said that, I conditioned myself to play the shot through 10 years of first-class cricket. So it does take time and if you are not comfortable then it is a shot which should not be forced,” he explained.

Matthew Hayden: The pitches have been substandard

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