Virat Kohli, Steven Smith really are key to Australian summer: Matthew Hayden

Two of the most sought-after batters of the ‘fabulous four’ list, Virat Kohli and Steve Smith will face off in the purest format of cricket as India will take on Australia in the Border Gavaskar Trophy. India will tour Australia in November and Kohli will be back in the whites after almost 10 months. On the other hand, Smith is having a tough time with the bat, scoring just 51 runs in his last four innings.

Ahead of the impending series, former Australia opener, Matthew Hayden, has weighed in on the stalwart duo to come among the runs and hit the jackpot. He also added that the conduct of the star batters will transpire the whole series as runs will be no issue. For the unversed, India will commence the tour with the first Test on 22 November at Perth. This would be the first time India will be playing a five-match Test series against Australia since 1991-92.

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“Cricket is a game of momentum, and I'm sure those two players, coming now to the later pages of their cricketing careers, will be very keen to dominate the landscape through the summer. That's their nature. They do it in very different ways, very different styles, but certainly they really are the key to the Australian summer,” said Hayden as quoted by Hindustan Times. 

“You look at the lineups, and it's hard to really tell who has the edge. I sense that it's going to be runs that are going to be the point of difference. Guys that are sure bets have retired, like Pujara was a sure bet in Australian conditions,” he added.

The best need to stand up in this series: Hayden

Speaking of Pujara, the veteran has been left out of the Test squad for a while now. The right-handed batter last featured for India in whites during the WTC final against Australia at the Oval in June 2023. With India still grappling for a cushion to lean on in Tests, the emergence of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill has hampered the 36-year-old’s comeback. Hayden lamented that the Gujarat batter was a sure-shot deal for India down-under.

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“Was he [Pujara] exciting? No. Was he effective? Heck, yes. When you look back over the years, guys like Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman… they were really sure bets in our market. The best need to stand up in this series, runs are going to be at a premium,” Hayden concluded.