New Delhi: Indian skipper Virat Kohli found support from unlikely quarters from former Australian opener Matthew Hayden, who however hit out at sub-standard pitches in Pune and Bengaluru — venues of the first two Test matches.
Hayden pointed out similarities between himself and Kohli’s attitude on the pitch and also said that Virat’s on-field aggression is something which keeps him going.
“Virat, like I did, always walks the fine line. We are passionate about the game and we believe that the body language, attitude, temperament, discipline and domination are part of our arsenal. Sometimes, they spill over. The key here is respect. The only thing I play the game for is to earn respect from fellow players. I am sure that is exactly the same with Virat as well,” Hayden was quoted as saying in a Mumbai newspaper.
“I can say that the Indian cricketers are a privileged society. They get a lot of adulation and even I started getting it here. I have actually become India-Australian and maybe in that order. I attended the BCCI awards function the other night because of the respect for the game. So did Virat challenge all this? No, he is earning respect,” added Hayden.
From Ian Healy’s ‘respect’ jibe to Mitchell Johnson’s ‘frustrated’ remark, former Australian players are constantly having a go at the Indian captain in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which is currently locked at 1-1.
Earlier, former Australia wicket-keeper Ian Healy tried to unnerve Virat by saying ‘he is losing respect for Kohli’.
Hayden hit out at the ‘substandard’ pitches that were used in the first and second Tests between India and Australia in Pune and Bengaluru respectively.
Hayden opined that India are good enough to play on ‘good wickets’ and by playing on such tracks, they don’t hold an extra edge against the Aussies.
“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 Nathan Lyon took eight in the first innings of a Test match says it all,” Hayden said.
The southpaw also had a piece of advice to give to Steven Smith and his troops, who are still trying to decode the spin threat posed by ICC’s top ranked bowlers Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.
“I have played some great Indian spinners and this attack is as good as any that I have played. These guys are world class. 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,” said Hayden.
