da premier bet： The presence of Matthew Hayden has had a calming effect on Australia over the past eight years, but when he strides back into the side in Adelaide theemotion felt will be relief
Peter English in Adelaide23-Jan-2008
Matthew Hayden’s absence at the WACA exposed unknown frailties in the top order © Getty Images
The presence of Matthew Hayden has had a calmingeffect on Australia over the past eight years, butwhen he strides back into the side in Adelaide theemotion felt will be relief. The team missed him badlyin Perth as he recovered from a right thigh problemand will look to him for stability in theseries-deciding encounter.After hundreds in the first two games, Hayden’s absencewas as influential as any of the reasons given for the72-run loss on Saturday. Without their opening rock,Australia’s top order wobbled and had no way to continuethe cover for four out-of-touch batsmen and onedebutant. Anything Chris Rogers contributed was abonus – he scrambled 4 and 15 – but more was expectedfrom Ricky Ponting and Phil Jaques, while AdamGilchrist and Michael Clarke managed a half-century inone innings and struggled in the other.The quartet has not found fluency during the firstthree Tests and each man has returns that are wellbelow their career marks. Covering a couple ofmis-firing batsmen is not a problem for Australia, butpropping up the side when so many are battling formeaningful contributions proved too tough against awell-rounded Indian attack.Brett Lee, the No. 8, did not get to bat in thetwo-Test series against Sri Lanka in November, withAustralia declaring three times on the way to aclean sweep victory. Only once, in the first inningsin Sydney, has Ponting been able to call his men inagainst India, and the same game was the one occasionwhen they posted more than 400 – the 463 came afterthey were in the horrible position of 6 for 134.Australia have now been dismissed five times in sixinnings for the first time since 2005.Tim Nielsen, the coach, blamed the lack ofpartnerships in Perth as the reason for Australia’sdefeat, which ended their winning run at 16. Nielsen,who was pleased with the performance of his bowlers,said during the week that teams should expect theopposition to operate at the high standards India’sattack achieved at the WACA. More runs have beendemanded for Adelaide and when a group of players arestruggling it is important that strong combinationsare developed.Gilchrist and Andrew Symonds posted the only centurystand of the third Test for Australia with 102,providing some CPR after their top-order team-matesleft them at 5 for 61. “We blew it in the firstinnings,” Nielsen said. “We were 3 for 15 before lunchon the second day.” Working on lifting the battingoutput has been the focus between Tests after scores of212 and 340, which was boosted by a ninth-wicketliaison of 73. That stand also exposed the team’s current weakness.Jaques, Clarke, Ponting and Michael Hussey averaged atleast 70 in the Sri Lanka series, when four centurystands were scored, while Symonds and Gilchristweren’t dismissed. Hayden was the only one who failedto make a half-century, but he repaid the squad incritical circumstances in the opening two Testsagainst India. Symonds, who has 380 runs in aparticularly strong series, and Michael Hussey (270runs at 54.00) are the only batsmen who have supportedHayden adequately since Christmas.Clarke’s second-innings 81 in Perth boosted his tallyto 198 at 33.00, a collection that is better thanthose of Jaques (30.50), Gilchrist (22.66) and Ponting(21.33). It is rare that so many Australians have beentreading water at the same time, even against thehigh-quality swing offered by India.Anil Kumble’s claim after the WACA win that hisbatting line-up is the best in the world has riled thehome team, which believes it has no peer. After somedysfunctional performances in the opening three gamesAustralia will look to Hayden’s muscle to help themreturn to the top.