No Point Beating Your Chest At National Anthem: Hayden Blasts India ‘For Lack Of Energy’ As Australia Dominate
Former Australian opener Matthew Hayden came down heavily on the Indian team for their lack of energy on the opening day of the World Test Championship (WTC) final at the Oval in London. Hayden said that India needed to hunt in a pack and were lacklustre once Steve Smith and Travis Head started dominating. Hayden criticised India with a huge remark saying that it’s important to beat the chest out, play with that positive mindset and intent on the field and not do that during the national anthem.
Speaking on Star sports ahead of the second day of the WTC final, Hayden said, “There’s no point beating your chest at the national anthem or the Australians beating their chest at the national anthem. You beat your chest out at the center. There wasn’t enough energy yesterday from India. When Australia dominated, they’re going to get dominated again with this partnership if they don’t turn up and hunt us a pack.
India had Australia by the scruff of their neck at 76/3 before an unbeaten 251-run stand between Head and Smith not only pegged them back but also ensured that the Pat Cummins-led side can’t lose from there. Hayden urged India to hunt in a pack and vary their lengths.
“The great sides of India used to do exactly that. Stick to a plan and hunt like a pack. From the Australian point of view, much of the same. If India don’t turn up today, continue to bowl short, and back of the lengths, continue to get cut, go over the top of the third man, then they’re going to get owned during the first session. They get owned in the first session, then from Australia’s point of view, they’re just going to boss this Test match. It is going to slip away so quickly. So runs have to be hard to come by,” Hayden further added.
Thankfully for India, they staged a decent comeback to stop Australia from not getting to 550, which looked achievable at one stage. Mohammed Siraj picked four wickets while Shardul Thakur got the big wicket of Steve Smith as Indian bowlers took 7 for 108 to bowl Australia out for 469.
