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 New Delhi, Oct 23:
Record breaking Australian batsman Mathew Hayden today said his Test
best knock of 380 against Zimbabwe recently would not change his
fundamental approach to batting. "It (the record knock) does
not change things. If any thing, it reinforces what I have been
doing earlier," said Hayden, who is part of the Australian team
to play a triangular limited overs cricket series beginning today.
Hayden shattered the world record for highest individual score in
Test cricket with his 380 against Zimbabwe at Perth two weeks ago.
The earlier best was 375 by West Indian Brian Lara, scored against
England in Antigua in 1994-95. Hayden said he would continue doing
what he had done all along -- bat to a plan.
"I bat to a
plan, and I would continue to do so as long as I can. The game is
still the same," Australian who would be celebrating his 32nd
birthday on October 29, said in a media interaction. Hayden had an
ordinary debut in 1993 and was out of the national team after
playing only six Tests until he made a grand return on the 2001
visit to India. The muscular Hayden aggregated 510 runs on that
three-Test series, and has since then gone on to establish himself
as a prolific run getter with nearly 3500 runs including 15 hundreds
from 33 matches at an average above 70.
Hayden said being
on the sidelines for a long time was a strong reason for his amazing
consistency in the last two years. "I have been on the
sidelines for a long period of time, watching people play and
wanting desperately to play. That was a motivation, and to me
motivation is something that comes from within. "And then I
love batting, to pad up and go out to bat is something I really
enjoy doing and have done it since young. So it was combination of
these two factors," he said. The Aussie opener said mental
toughness was all about performing to one's potential. "For me
the most challenging, like a carrot dangling in front, is to keep
playing how best I can. One of the strengths in me is being
competitive, and being in a competitive environment brings the best
out in me," Hayden said.
The 32-year old
said there was minor difference between batting in Tests and one-day
internationals. "When I put my Test cricket hat on, I don't
give one per cent of a chance to the bowler to get my wicket.
"But in one-day cricket, that percentage becomes lower. You
start taking the risks at the early stage of the game, simply to
elevate the scoring rate. "But your game does not change
necessarily a great deal. Probably, in Test cricket you can reverse
it (the trend) around (over a period of time)." Hayden also
threw light on planning ahead of a match. "Every team plays to
its strength and plans about where the opposition is going to pose a
threat. "For instance, here the ball stops swinging early so it
suits the teams to pick early wickets and then slow up the run rate
by bowling slow bowlers. So you have to counter attack that phase of
the game."
 Hayden said the
difference between playing in India and in other countries was in
the pace at which runs were scored and not so much in the wicket
conditions as normally believed. "The fact is that you score
lot of runs very quick here, the moment you pierce the inner field
it is a four ... and the grounds are not that huge either. "We
saw in the West Indies series how the sides regularly made 300 and
chased 300. The par score really is the difference here. In
Australia 250 would be a great score, but here 350 would be the par
score." Having said that, Hayden could not see why teams or
individuals did not make big scores in the subcontinent.
"We saw the
New Zealand-India series, and there were comments in the press on
how good the quality of the wickets were and still the scores were
low. I think it reflects on the brand of cricket the two side had
decided to play. That does not suit our style of play. "We like
to play aggressively, get the game going and moving forward, that's
our brand of cricket. So, I don't think there is any reason why
there are low scores." Hayden said he and his opening partner
Adam Gilchrist would give his team a big score if they batted
throughout the innings, but not because they performed than better
others but due to cricket logic.
"I have not
thought about that (Gilchrist and himself batting till the end in a
one-day match), it has not happened often before. "But the
reason why I think we would score a lot is not because we are better
than any other player in the side but, as a batter, you could score
quicker if you stay till the last ball than the one who comes in
fresh." (Agencies)
Published:
Thursday, October 23, 2003
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