The erstwhile Australian opener Matthew Hayden congratulate the captain Pat Cummin for completing over 300 wickets in his Test career during the South Africa vs Australia test match 2025. Pat Cummins has been the architect of Australia over the last 5 years who has drastically changed the face of cricket.
Pat Cummins does everything right- Matthew Hayden
The Australian former batter Matthew Hayden complimented Cummins for making over 300 wickets in test, he addressed Cummins’ role as a captain in Australia and despite of his injury, Cummins did everything right against South Africa in the ICC WTC 2025. The former Aussie batter has envisioned via Jio Hotstar that,
“Cummins does everything right – he challenges the off stump, uses the slope, and targets the top of the stumps, making batters play constantly. He now has over 300 Test wickets despite not bowling for five and a half years due to injury. That’s extraordinary,”
Whereas Australian pacer such as Cummins, Hazlewood, and Starc are a few stunning bowlers for the Aussie gang, South Africa also has their finest batter like Markram and Temba. However, Hayden talked about the trio of Aussie pacers ‘ breathtaking performance. He stated that,
“The trio of Hazlewood, Cummins, and Starc might just be Australia’s best-ever pace attack—even better than McGrath, Gillespie, and Lee—because they’ve bowled more together, in more combinations. Add Nathan Lyon to the mix, and it’s an ‘awesome foursome.’ Australia did well to pull ahead despite pressure. South Africa fought back hard, making this a seesaw contest. It’s been a fantastic Test match so far, and Day 3 promises more drama,”
Pat Cummins is one of the finest captains in Australia to confine South Africa in the ICCWTC 2025. Cummins is the second Aussie pacer to make over 136 wickets as a captain after Richie Benaud. Cummins has his Test debut in 2011 against South Africa in Johannesburg.
For being a well aussie captain, Pat Cummins has been honored by Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy by ICC itself. Apart from that, Cummins, in his test career has earned more than 300 wickets. However, he has been seen playing for Sunrise Hyderabad in the recent IPL match.
Matthew Hayden’s take on WTC
Despite South Africa’s marvelous performance against Australia, the former Aussie cricketer Hayden shared his observation on both teams’ action. He told Australia gets more runs, South Africa also needs enough runs to stand in the playground. He said,
“Even if Australia gets a lead of 250, South Africa will need a 100-run stand and another 50-run partnership to stay in the game. Ironically, more wickets have fallen when the sun’s been out, not under overhead conditions. It speaks more about batting rust than exceptional bowling,”
While appreciating Australian pacers along with other batters, Hayden shared his test experiences via Jio Hotstar. He added, “Test match cricket demands that you get comfortable with not scoring quickly—something that’s the opposite of what the shorter formats teach. T20 batting encourages moving away from the ball to create space and power, but in Tests, that becomes a weakness.
He also has shared his observation about dismissal balls and how they can adjust those balls. He said,
“Dismissals like those of Labuschagne, Green, and Webster all stemmed from not getting close to the ball. We were taught to ‘smell the leather’—to let the ball come under your eyes. In the longer format, that means moving towards the ball, not away from it. At the moment, there are clear technical deficiencies as these players readjust to Test cricket.”