'No Chance to Dominate Game': Matthew Hayden Claims Day-Night Test vs India Takes Away Australia's Home Advantage

Australian batting legend Matthew Hayden reckons that playing the pink ball Test in Australia might take away the side’s natural home advantage citing the change in conditions that takes place during the evening.

During the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Australia and India will square off in a day-night Test match too. Hayden suggested that the conditions after sun-down might be difficult even for the home side.

“Once you get those overhead conditions under that twilight zone, they can be really difficult,” he said.

Hayden believes that any side would be under threat of a batting collapse as seen in previous instances. During the 2020-21 series, India endured a horror show which resulted in the side being torn apart by Josh Hazlewood’s five-wicket haul as the visitors were shot out for 36 runs – their lowest team total in Test history.

“I would go as far as to say that the home advantage in Australia has been taken away quite a lot, simply on the basis that if you get (on) the wrong side of a certain session, be that you are four for 130 at twilight, you can (soon) be eight for 150,” he said.

“There’s no chance to naturally dominate a game,” he added.

Pat Cummins – A Special Leader

Hayden also hailed Pat Cummins’ approach as a leader which he believes is very much different to his predecessors who usually applied a more reward-based approach in their leadership. The former Aussie international believes that Cummins focuses more on getting the best out of the talent and also on the preparations before their games.

“He has a very special leadership style and ability. It’s a very different style to the former captains of the Australian cricket team that were (about) very much a carrot and stick type approach,” he said.

“He’s operating on a model that’s bringing out the individuals and individual preparation in particular — something which our game struggles with being a team sport,” he added.

Hayden who followed the Australian side closely thinks the team has appeared close as a group ever since questions were raised after the removal of Justin Langer as the head coach of the side.

“I (have) followed this team very closely over the last two years and they’re an extremely close team. Even the former players, when we were upset with the removal of Justin Langer, they closed ranks and doubled down on how it is that they wanted to go about their work,” he said.

(with PTI Inputs)