5 lesser-known facts about Matthew Hayden

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.

Also Read: 5 Cricketers with Most Ducks for 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.