Matthew Hayden, former Australian opener, expressed his excitement to see the performances of Virat Kohli and Steven Smith in the forthcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy. India and Australia will play five Test matches which are set to begin on November 22 in Perth. Australia are the reigning champions in the World Test Championship (WTC), which they won after defeating India at The Oval. Meanwhile, India are defending the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after winning the series at home during the 2022-23 season.
Both Kohli and Smith are among the top international batters who have showcased their prowess across all formats of the game. Notably, their contest in the upcoming series will be closely watched by fans and experts alike. Kohli, the former Indian captain, has announced his retirement from T20Is following the T20 World Cup 2024 triumph in Barbados, marking India’s first ICC title in 11 years. Smith, on the other hand, is aiming for a return to the T20I side with an eye on the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
The 52-year-old remarked that both Kohli and Smith have their unique styles of dominating the game. He further emphasized that these two batting stalwarts will be crucial to determining the outcome of the series in Australia.
“Cricket is a game of momentum and I’m sure those two players, coming now to the later pages of their cricketing careers, will be very keen to dominate the landscape through the summer,” Hayden said on the sidelines of the Ceat Cricket Rating Awards on August 21.
“That’s their nature. They do it in very different ways, very different styles, but certainly, they really are the key to the Australian summer,” he added.
Reviewing the lineups for India and Australia, Hayden stated that it’s challenging to determine which team has the advantage in the game. He added that India will miss Cheteshwar Pujara, who would have thrived in the Australian conditions.
“You look at the lineups, and it’s hard to really tell who has the edge. I sense that it’s going to be runs that are going to be the point of difference. Guys that are sure bets have retired like (Cheteshwar) Pujara was a sure bet in Australian conditions,”Hayden said.
“Was he exciting? No. Was he effective? Heck, yes. When you look back over the years, guys like Raul Dravid, VVS Laxman… they were really sure bets in our market. The best need to stand up in this series, runs are going to be at a premium,” he said further.
