Former Australian opener Matthew Hayden has launched a scathing attack on Australia’s batting unit following their crushing defeat to England in the fourth Ashes Test at the MCG, calling the scorecard “unacceptable” and questioning the team’s technical foundations.
The Melbourne Test ended in just two days, with Australia collapsing to scores of 152 and 132, and not a single batter managing a half-century across both innings.
🔥 Hayden Unleashes on Australia’s Top Order
Speaking on the All Over Bar The Cricket podcast, Hayden did not mince his words while naming senior batters directly.
“That’s an unacceptable scorecard. I don’t care if it was 50 millimetres of grass. You need to be better than that.”
He went on to criticise the techniques of several established names:
“Head, Weatherald, Labuschagne, Khawaja, Carey, Green — they’re all at sea with their basic techniques. The only technical thing I see is coming from our bowlers, who look more technically sound than our batters. Why is that?”
🎯 Coaching Under Fire: Di Venuto Questioned
Hayden also turned his attention to batting coach Michael Di Venuto, suggesting Australia’s Test batting development has stalled under his watch.
“I’m not a fan of him. It’s not a personal thing,” Hayden said.
“For too long there’s been an influence in this group around batting, and I don’t feel it’s served the development of the team or the technical element of Test cricket.”
He further pointed out Australia’s struggles beyond green seaming wickets:
“Not just on green wickets, but in the subcontinent — we’ve been competitive, but we haven’t had the skill sets required to cope in those conditions.”
Hayden called for “generationally different voices” in Australia’s batting setup, stressing that Di Venuto has been in the role for at least five years.
🏟️ Match Recap: A Test Match That Flew By
🇦🇺 Australia – 1st Innings
-
152 all out (45.2 overs)
-
Josh Tongue: 5/45 (England’s first-ever Boxing Day Test five-for at MCG)
-
Top scorers:
-
Michael Neser: 35 (49 balls, 7 fours)
-
Usman Khawaja: 29
-
A promising stand between Neser and Cameron Green (17) was cut short by a run-out, triggering yet another collapse.
🏴 England – 1st Innings
-
110 all out (29.5 overs)
-
Harry Brook: 41
-
Gus Atkinson: 28
-
Michael Neser: 4/45
-
Scott Boland: 3/30
England trailed by 42 runs as the pitch continued to torment batters.
🇦🇺 Australia – 2nd Innings
-
132 all out (34.3 overs)
-
Travis Head: 46
-
Steve Smith: 24*
Only two batters crossed the 20-run mark, underlining the fragility Hayden highlighted.
🏴 England – Run Chase
-
Target: 175
-
Strong starts:
-
Crawley (37) & Duckett (34)
-
Crawley & Bethell (40)
-
-
Late wobble: England slipped from 112/2 to 165/6
-
Harry Brook (18)* and Jamie Smith (3)* sealed the win
England completed a memorable victory, handing Australia a humiliating home defeat.
