IND vs AUS: Matthew Hayden Says Australian Power Hitter Has “Killer Instincts” In “Heaps And Bounds”

Singapore-born Tim David got his maiden Australia call-up for their three-match T20I series in India, as the Aaron Finch-led team look to cash in on his big-hitting finishing abilities when they defend their T20 World Cup title at home from next month. David, 26, made his T20I debut for Singapore in 2019 and has played 14 matches, scoring 558 runs at a strike rate of 158.52. He also impressed in patches for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2022. Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden hailed him as a “massive X-Factor” and said he has “killer instincts” in “heaps and bounds”.

“Absolutely, I think he is a massive X-factor. He is a big, powerful young fellow who has got a power game,” Hayden said in a press conference responding to an NDTV question.

“The challenge for him will be to show it for the team in yellow and green. Once you get to that international stage, it is a completely different ball game. You need to have that solid foundation behind you. But X-factor, yes 100 per cent agree,” he continued.

“If you look at the Australian team, it is missing that X-factor at the moment to be honest. Form of Aaron Finch is questionable, you have some other great names that are also X-factors like Maxwell, he can play both orthodox and unorthodox shots. Tim David, nothing beats power in T20 cricket,” the legendary batter said.

Hayden went on to make a comparison with West Indies legend Chris Gayle and said David has that killer instinct.

“If you look at the Australian team, it is missing that X-factor at the moment to be honest. Form of Aaron Finch is questionable, you have some other great names that are also X-factors like Maxwell, he can play both orthodox and unorthodox shots. Tim David, nothing beats power in T20 cricket,” he said.

“Someone like Chris Gayle for example, in the shorter versions of the game, he was so dynamic and powerful. He would embarrass bowlers and that’s what you need, that killer instinct. Tim David has got that in heaps and bounds,” he said.

Hayden went on to say that it would be a challenge for Tim David to tackle Indian conditions and even had some advice for the right-handed batter.

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“It just needs to be seen how he responds and especially in India, where that would be extra pressure on him. And one another factor also, Australian cricketers for a number of years now have almost tried too hard to play well against India. You don’t have to need that, Tim David does not need to do that,” he said.

“If he just sits back, relaxes, he can take the game away from anyone with his power. 20 overs goes like that, you need to have different skills to suit different phases of the match,” he concluded.