IND vs ENG: Matthew Hayden Snubs Shubman Gill And David Warner As He Picks His Opening Batter From World Cup 2023

Former Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden recently picked his preferred opening partner for the ICC World Cup 2023. Matthew Hayden sidelined in-form opening batters such as David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Shubman Gill, Devon Conway, and Quinton de Kock.

Matthew Hayden represented Australia in 103 Tests, 161 ODIs, and 9 T20Is in his illustrious 15-year international career. The left-handed batter scored 8625, 6133, and 308 runs in the three formats, respectively. He hit 40 centuries and 65 half-centuries across the formats.

Watch- Matthew Hayden Picks His Opening Partner In World Cup 2023

In a video shared by ESPNCricinfo on its Instagram handle, Matthew Hayden was asked to choose a batter he would like to open the innings with in the ongoing World Cup. The former Australian opener picked Rohit Sharma as his preferred opening partner.

The cricketer-turned-commentator picked Rohit Sharma over other notable batters like Quinton de Kock, Jonny Bairstow, David Warner, Shubman Gill, Dawid Malan, Devon Conway, Kusal Perera, Mitchell Marsh, Litton Das, Imam-ul-Haq, and Rahmanullah Gurbaz.

 

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Rohit Sharma Reminds Of Matthew Hayden-Adam Gilchrist Era – Shoaib Malik

Speaking to ‘A Sports,’ Shoaib Malik drew a comparison between Rohit Sharma and the legendary Australian opening pair of Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist. Malik emphasized Rohit’s ability to use the field restrictions in the power play.

“Rohit Sharma reminds of the era when Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist used to open for Australia. They (Hayden and Gilchrist) used to do such hitting at the start that by the time Ricky Ponting came in to bat at No. 3, the field was open for him to score against battered and bruised bowlers,” Malik told A Sports.

“The best thing about him (Rohit) is that he (not only) has a lot of power, hits big sixes, but also improvises. This is very important. That’s why you see his hundreds are the most (7 in ODI World Cups). As soon as the field spreads out after 10 overs, he changes his game,” he added.

Rohit Sharma has been in brilliant form since being dismissed for a duck against Australia in Chennai. The right-handed batsman currently stands as the second-leading run scorer, amassing 311 runs in five innings at an impressive average of 62.20 and a strike rate of 133.48.

Also read: PAK vs AFG: Matthew Hayden Blames Pakistan’s Sloppy Fielding For Their Loss Against Afghanistan In World Cup 2023