Rohit Sharma’s bold decision to bowl first in the third Test at The Gabba in Brisbane has left Australian legend Matthew Hayden baffled. Hayden, who was known for his aggressive batting style during his playing days, warned that Rohit’s gamble could prove costly to India.
Matthew Hayden expressed his surprise at India’s strategy and questioned the move, as the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 is currently tied at 1-1, and there are not even slim chances for both teams to make any call that would offer an edge to the rival team.
Matthew Hayden shocked by Rohit Sharma’s bold decision to bowl first at Gabba
The former Australian opener also suggested that Rohit Sharma’s decision to bowl first in the third Test at The Gabba was influenced solely by the overcast and damp conditions caused by heavy rain in the weeks leading up to the crucial Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 game in Brisbane.
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Interestingly, India’s memorable win at The Gabba during the 2020-21 series saw them chase down a daunting target of 300+ runs in the fourth innings against Australia. Now, all eyes are on how the pitch behaves and whether India’s gamble will pay off, but Hayden is worried about their chances after Rohit Sharma’s bold call.
It was going to be as good batting conditions: Matthew Hayden
Matthew Hayden said on Star Sports: “I was really surprised that actually, Rohit Sharma won the toss and decided to bowl, because I felt like it was over-prepared. I thought it was because of how much weather. There were almost 12 inches of rain in the past two weeks. And so, we’ve got this showery pattern, and it’s been that way for a month and a bit.”
The commentator further added, “So, the groundsman would have been thinking, We’ve got to get our preparation in early, and that’s why I thought that it was going to be as good batting conditions as you’re going to see now in these first two days, with the view that it will break up and turn.”
Matthew Hayden warns of Brisbane pitch cracks impacting final innings in the third Test
Well, Hayden further went on to predict that the first two days of the Gabba Test would likely favor the batters, making India’s bold call to field first a risky one. Reflecting on past matches at Brisbane, the Aussie legend has pointed out how the pitch tends to break down after the initial days, often favoring spinners and making batting in the later stages more challenging.
Furthermore, the former Australian batter highlighted that the Brisbane pitch, affected by recent rain, could start sluggish but might harden with typical Queensland weather. He also stressed that the spinners will play a key role in Brisbane, as cracks will develop to make conditions challenging for batters as the game progresses.
Hayden signed off by saying, “We’ve seen some great performances from spinners across the world at this venue, and if we do get decent weather—and that’s the fingers crossed at best because of the reasons I just mentioned—there are cracks in the wicket. The wicket was quite sluggish early; it will harden up a little bit, assuming that we do get the weather that, um, is typical of Queensland weather, which is perfect one day and even more perfect the next.”