The Bat feeds his addiction

To say that Matthew Hayden loves the MCG is a bit like saying that Doug Walters liked his pint. In nine Tests at the greatest venue in the game, Hayden now has six centuries and his 124 on Boxing Day pushed his average up near to 80. After a circumspect start by his bullying standards, he reverted to type after lunch, going from 50 to three figures in just 46 balls.

At times, it was just frightening to watch, the way he would take premeditated strides down the pitch to hit over or through the infield. India had a sniff when he was on 64, but a shot struck like a wrecking ball only stung Anil Kumble's fingertips before finding the rope.

Hayden's belligerence also allowed Australia to cruise at four an over, despite the failure of the middle order to cash in on a superb start. In that regard, it was eerily similar to the innings that he played 12 months ago, when he and Andrew Symonds took Australia from the depths of 84 for 5 to a facile innings victory.

Hayden may now be 36, but given his resurgence in form over the past two seasons, Sunil Gavaskar's record as the game's most successful opener could well be under threat. Gavaskar finished with 34 centuries from his 125 Tests, while Hayden now has 28 from just 92 games. Since going into the Oval Test under a cloud, he has reeled off eight centuries, including one in the Super[fluous] Series.

"My first tour was in 1993, but I haven’t played as much cricket as I would have liked," he said earnestly when we chatted in India a couple of months ago. "So I’m very keen to keep churning it out if I can." And unless India can find a way to stop the man they call Matt the Bat, it could be a very long summer indeed.

Comments

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He seems to have got some sort of a thing going on for the Indians, played brilliantly in that laxman series, and , If not for that madness that engulfed the Australians in the last session of that Calcutta test, things might have been different with haydos walking away with all those plaudits.