Matthew Hayden blasts Cricket Australia for not staging the first Test at The Gabba

Between November 1988 and January 2021, Australia played 31 Tests at the Gabba in Brisbane. They won 25 out of them and drew the rest six matches. It had become one place, where no overseas team could come and win a Test match. When India arrived at the venue for the series decider against Australia, the hosts were much confident that it was going to be a walk in the park. However, that wasn’t the case. India broke the streak which the Australian cricket was really proud of. 

Former Australian batsman Matthew Hayden has blasted Cricket Australia (CA) for being ‘arrogant’ enough not to schedule the first Test of the series in Brisbane. The Gabba for a long long time has been the venue where Australia play the first Test of the summer. The fact that the pitch and the ground at the Gabba are slightly different than any other cricket ground around the world, gives an advantage to the Australian side to start their summer on a positive note. 

The Gabba is most hostile environment possible in Australia: Matthew Hayden

Hayden blamed Cricket Australia’s strategy to re-jig the summer’s schedule and move the final Test to Brisbane instead of just having the first Test, like every year.

“When it comes to the Brisbane Test match, there is an air of confidence and arrogance at that venue in particular. You got a real level of confidence out of the fact you were putting an opposition side into the most hostile environment there was possible in Australia and you’re looking to absolutely smash them,” Hayden said during the Fast and the Curious podcast. 

Matthew Hayden suggests the first Test in Brisbane and mandatory Test at the WACA for India

Hayden further stated that any Indian team travelling to Australia must always play the first Test in Brisbane. He also made a point that there should be a Test in Perth as well. By that, he meant the old Perth ground, the WACA, which has the ‘fastest pitch in the world’ according to several cricketers.

 “It begs the question really of the arrogance I think, of the administration that has changed the format of the sides touring and how they go about it. India should always play at Brisbane (first) and the WACA,” Hayden added.