"Before the India tour, my career was one of starts and stops," Hayden said in the course of an interview recently. "I never lack confidence, I knew I was good enough to play for Australia but during the India tour, I got it all together."
The southpaw always had the ability, but statistics were lopsided. From the moment he struck a magnificent 149 on his first-class debut, he continued to demonstrate a seemingly unquenchable thirst for big scores. But just in first-class cricket. He struggled on elevation to the international stage. So, when he arrived in India with Waugh’s ‘Invincibles’ he had an unflattering average in the measly 20s and many thought he was a possible weak link in a distinguished Australian batting line-up.
Big and muscular—with a 6 ft 3 in, 15 stones frame—he was not a man "to be tangled with," but a "good man to have if the team bus breaks down 50 miles from the game, on the wrong side of a river."
But perceptions changed dramatically by the time the Aussies left India. The cynics were eating humble pie and Hayden was laughing the loudest, emerging the highest run-getter on either side in both the Tests and odis. In all, he amassed 549 runs, including a memorable century at Mumbai and an unforgettable 203 in Chennai, in six Test innings at a better-than-Bradman average of 109.80.
No wonder, he returned with fond memories of the country and not just for his phenomenal on-field exploits. "It is not just one thing that is captivating in India, but a thousand things. I am inspired by this country and its remarkable people," he said, revealing he found "peace in the chaos of India".
"There is a lack of materialism that astonishes me. No matter how poor or lowly people appear, they smile and the effect is like taking an aspirin to cure a headache," said the southpaw. "When I was feeling crowded or harassed, I would focus on an amazing smile, a smile wrapped right around a face," he added, describing Indian stadiums as "absolute bedlam, outrageously loud, like putting your ear against a rock concert speaker."
"Off the field there was the memory of the laughing club that met outside our hotel in Mumbai at sunrise every day, as well as the trip to the Taj Mahal, a truly breathtaking monument, and a visit to the fish markets at Vishakapatnam. So many memories of a magical time for me personally and a special tour for cricket," he remembered fondly, revealing that "with the exception of the hotel room with the door locked and the phone off the hook, I found the wicket probably the most peaceful place to be in India." No wonder, he made the most of the "peace" out in the middle.
And after his phenomenal success in India, his amazing run-making abilities were further showcased during the twin home series against New Zealand and South Africa. He cracked four individual centuries and joined with fellow opener Justin Langer to produce a world-record: four double-century partnerships in the course of a single season.
The 32-year-old Queenslander was Test cricket’s most successful batsman in 2001 with 1,391 runs—the third highest aggregate in a calendar year after Viv Richards’ 1,710 (1976) and Gavaskar’s 1,407 (1979). He was subsequently a runaway winner of the Allan Border Medal, Australian cricket’s highest individual accolade, in early 2002. And in eight Tests in 2002, Hayden has scored 982 runs so far, including five centuries, at an average of 81.83. He also scored 712 runs in odis this year in 17 innings. And when he blazed away to a 197 and 103 at the Gabba in Australia’s massive 384-run win in the Ashes opener, he notched his seventh ton in 10 Tests—the hottest sequence by an Australian since Bradman hit eight centuries in 10 Tests, all against England, between 1934-38.
What sets him apart from the rest? "He’s just in complete control of his game," revealed Aussie Test captain Steve Waugh. "His balance is magnificent, his shot execution is first class and his temperament’s really good."
‘Haydo’ has no apparent weaknesses and he is rarely unsettled. Tall and powerfully built, he plays with muscular authority and is one of the hardest hitters in the game. Possessing a beautifully uncomplicated technique allows him to drive forcefully and execute those thunderous cuts, hooks and pulls. And most importantly, he has loads of confidence, wears the Baggy Green with pride and enjoys his game. Proof is his joyous, unrestrained celebration after every milestone at the crease—helmet in hand and wildly flinging his big arms.
"I can’t imagine anyone playing even better than him...probably excluding Don Bradman," remarked Waugh, earlier in the year. "Hayden’s playing as well as anybody’s probably ever played the game."
"To be even mentioned in the same breath as Sir Donald Bradman is extremely flattering. But really there is no comparison—he was and always will be the greatest by a country mile," he said.
And ‘Matt the Super Bat’ is not ready to be counted as the best of his time as well. "Am I the world’s best? I’m not so sure about that. And I would certainly not set my stall out to be one with guys like Sachin Tendulkar and Adam Gilchrist around," he said. And it’s not about modesty. "It’s not the question of modesty. You see guys like Tendulkar having been doing it for the past 13 years. It’s only fair if he is hailed as the best in the world," said Haydo, who famously called Sachin Tendulkar a God.
A keen angler, Hayden was away fishing with Andrew Symonds off the Queensland coast, when a wave toppled their boat. Without life jackets, they were in a spot of bother but survived, swimming several kilometres to the shore.
Likewise, Hayden has swum ashore in the stormy world of Test cricket as well, and he is here to stay. And the World Cup could see his coronation in the abridged version as well.
