5 lesser-known facts about Matthew Hayden

Matthew Hayden (Source – Getty Images)

Matthew Lawrence Hayden, the legendary Australian opener who celebrated his 53rd birthday on Tuesday, October 29, redefined aggressive batting in one of the toughest cricketing eras. The tall 6’2 left-hander from Queensland was not just an ordinary batter but intimidated the opposition with his batting and dominated bowling attacks worldwide.

With over 8,000 Test runs at an average above 50, along with more than 6,000 ODI runs, he created sheer terror when walked into the field. Hayden’s best achievement came in the 2007 ODI World Cup, where he scored 659 runs, making him third in the list of most runs in a single World Cup edition.

A two-time World Cup winner (2003 and 2007), ‘Haydos’ was instrumental in Australia’s golden era of cricket in the 2000s. His partnership with Justin Langer was one of the best among all Test opening pairs. Apart from his brilliance with the willow, he was an excellent slip fielder, particularly in the gully position.

Hayden’s 15-year international career began initially being labeled a one-day specialist, but he later proved everyone wrong by becoming one of red-ball cricket’s most reliable players. Fans are always curious to know more about their favorite cricketers. Hayden’s story in that sense is quite interesting and deserves a read.

Here are the five lesser-known facts about Matthew Hayden:

5. Fishing story with former teammate Andrew Symonds

In 2000, what began as a routine fishing expedition off the Queensland coast turned into a troubling story of survival for Matthew Hayden, Andrew Symonds, and their friend.

The three cricket teammates had planned a day out for fishing. A massive wave overturned their boat, throwing them into shark-infested waters. With their boat sinking and no immediate rescue in vision, they faced a challenging three-hour swim to safety. The situation was particularly challenging as Symonds, who, despite his athletic skills on the cricket field, needed assistance in the water.

Hayden essentially dragged Symonds along while swimming. The sharks lurking beneath added a deep fear to their journey. The trio had to maintain their calm while sailing through deep waters, with their lives hanging in the balance.

Eventually, they managed to reach a nearby island, exhausted but alive. This incident strengthened the bond between Hayden and Symonds, who were already close friends and teammates in the Australian team.

Also Read: Top 3 batters who scored fastest triple centuries in Test history

4. Career turnaround

The 2001 India tour is considered a landmark moment in Hayden’s cricketing career, making him from a decent player into one of the nation’s best opening batters of all time. Before this series, Hayden’s Test average was 24.36 from 13 matches. But his early preparation for Indian conditions was fruitful in the end.

Working with his brother Gary at Brisbane’s Valleys Cricket Club, Hayden fine-tuned his technique on deliberately deteriorated dirt tracks. His focus on mastering spin bowling had earlier led him to lobby selectors for inclusion in an Australian Cricket Academy tour to India.

When the 2001 tour arrived, Hayden was all prepared for it. Despite Australia’s eventual 2-1 series loss, he dominated the Indian spinners, scoring 549 runs in just three Tests. His effective use of the sweep shot practiced religiously during preparation, became a signature weapon against world-class spinners. Post-India series his average climbed to 71.91, and he scored 3380 runs including 14 centuries and nine fifties.

3. The Mongoose bat

The southpaw created a huge buzz in the Indian Premier League 2010 when he took the field with the unconventional Mongoose bat for Chennai Super Kings. The distinctive bat, featuring a longer handle and a shorter but thicker hitting surface, became an instant talking point.

Hayden’s most memorable innings with the Mongoose came against Delhi Daredevils on March 19 in Feroz Shah Kotla (now Arun Jaitley Stadium), Delhi, where he smashed a match winnings 93 off just 43 balls, guiding CSK to chase down 186 runs with five wickets to spare.

The Mongoose bat’s unique design, though reducing the overall hitting surface, provided extra power through its bulky base and extended handle. Despite Hayden’s success with the bat, particularly in this explosive innings, the Mongoose failed to gain interest among other cricketers.

“Mongoose product was a step in the right direction. It was a brave, courageous decision to use it. I believed it was going to make my game better. On a couple of occasions, I used it, I loved it, it was fun,” Hayden said in a video for CSK Live.

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2. The Glenn McGrath episode

During the 1994-95 Benson & Hedges World Series, a match pitted Australia against Australia A in the finals, leading to a memorable confrontation between teammates Hayden and Glenn McGrath. The incident occurred during the first final at the Sydney Cricket Ground, where Hayden was representing Australia A against McGrath’s Australian team.

In the 17th over, Hayden confidently cut one of McGrath’s deliveries through backward point for four. As he casually walked to the other end, expecting the ball to reach the boundary, he faced off McGrath standing in his path, seemingly frustrated with his poor delivery. The incident escalated when Hayden nudged McGrath and fixed him with a stare.

McGrath responded by pushing Hayden away with his left hand while exchanging heated words. Hayden reacted by shaking his head at his teammate’s aggressive behavior. Years later, Hayden spoke about the incident to the Cricket Australia website.

“I hit him through a backward point, and as I was turning to see whether I needed to run or whether it was ‘save your legs’, I ran straight into the corner of his arm. Having not seen it, I was under the impression he’d intentionally stuck his arm out at that time. So the whole ‘eff you’ thing has come out in both of us. It was brilliant,” Haydos said.

Also Read: Jacques Kallis’ Birthday: Celebrating influence of family and Bob Woolmer on his cricket legacy

1. World record

On October 9, 2003, Hayden registered his name in the history books with a brilliant 380 against Zimbabwe at the WACA, Perth. This feat helped him surpass Brian Lara’s then-record of the highest individual score in a Test innings (375).

Facing 437 deliveries, the southpaw maintained a strike rate of nearly 87. Throughout his marathon stay at the crease, he dispatched the Zimbabwe bowling attack to all corners of the ground, smashing 38 boundaries and 11 towering sixes. This knock is the only triple hundred in Hayden’s career and his highest Test score

The match saw the hosts securing victory by an innings and 175 runs against a considerably weaker Zimbabwe side. However, Hayden’s record was short-lived as Lara reclaimed his position less than six months later when he scored an unbeaten 400 against England in April 2004. To date, Hayden’s knock is the second on the historic list.

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