Former Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden lambasted the hosts’ approach with the bat during the Ashes Boxing Day Test, where England salvaged a win over Australia in Melbourne.
England Cricket pulled off a major heist during the Boxing Day Test in the Land Down Under. Just when everything looked in favour of Australia, Ben Stokes-led England turned things around with a significant performance and pulled off a stunning victory in just two days of action at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Matthew Hayden Criticises Australia’s Batting In Boxing Day Test
Matthew Hayden rebuked Australia’s recent batting performance in the Boxing Day Test, calling it unacceptable and voicing the need for improvement. He further questioned how the bowlers looked more technically sturdy than the batters during the fixture.
“That’s an unacceptable scorecard. I don’t care if it was 50 millimetres of grass. You need to be better than that. Head, Weatherald, Labuschagne, Khawaja, Carey, Green; they’re all at sea with their basic techniques. The only technical thing I see is coming from our bowlers, who look more technically sound than our batters. Why is that?” Hayden fumed on the All Over Bar The Cricket podcast.
The Australian batting great also criticised the team’s batting coach, Michael de Venuto, and said that he is not a fan of him. He also clarified that the criticism was not personal and that he wants him to take accountability.
England Seal Clinical Victory To Avoid Series Whitewash In Ashes
The Boxing Day Test Match between Australia and England at Melbourne became a significant affair when 20 wickets fell on day one of action. England wrapped up the match in just two days, serving a rather anti-climactic finish in the Boxing Day Test match.
The pitch at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) primarily favoured the seamers and became a nightmare for the batters in the competition.
While things looked in favour of Australia, England dished out resilience and grit, chasing down the target set by the hosts.
England managed to avoid a series whitewash with the four-wicket win in Melbourne, taking the series lead to 1-3. While the Aussies have already laid claim to the urn, England managed to avoid a shambolic embarrassment in the competition.