Wasim Jaffer vouches for Langer-Hayden call-up amid Australia’s hunt for openers
The Australia versus India series is going on in full flow post the IPL 2020. The hosts have won the ODI series, while the visitors took away the T20 one. Both were narrow contests and now the Test series will be the final decider. Neither team will want to lose this one and will be hoping that the players step up to the occasion.
Keeping that in mind, quite a few players could miss the series. This is either due to injuries or other committments. The fans will be missing some of these key stars for the upcoming matches. Australia has a few problems of their own, with their first-choice openers being injured.
What Wasim Jaffer Had To Say On The Problem That Australia Face?
Former Indian opener and a very renowned Ranji batsman Wasim Jaffer on Friday posted a picture of Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer jokingly suggesting that Australia should get the duo back. The tweet came up as the Australian test team have exhausted their opening options given Joe Burns is experiencing a poor run, David Warner out with an injury and Cameron Green being booked with a concussion during the practice match.
The Border-Gavaskar trophy between India and Australia starts on December 17, at Adelaide. The first of the four test matches will be a pink ball (Day/Night) test. Jaffer took on Twitter to put forward his choices when Australia’s opening slot is in a mess.
Along with a picture of the national team’s current coach Justin Langer and cricket legend Matthew Hayden’s picture he wrote, “With openers getting injured right left and center won’t be surprised if these two open at Adelaide 😅 #AusvInd.”
What Exactly Did The Former Indian Batsman Want To Suggest; Was This A Cryptic Tweet?
Jaffer, who is very well known for his opening numbers didn’t make the joking suggestion randomly. Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer’s opening partnerships were the best Australian cricket had seen in the early 2000s.
Hayden and Langer in 2004 at Cairns against a quality Sri Lankan side put up their highest partnership of 255 runs. The flat pitch helped Hayden complete hundreds in each innings, but similar heights were scaled time and time again. Their opening partnerships are considered one of the most prolific in the history of the game. The pair in six years together put up 5,655 runs together at the crease with an averaging opening stand over 50 runs per partnership.
Langer, who was almost out of the test scenario was called in when regular opener Micheal Slater was dropped the XI for the final Test of the series following a similarly barren run. Australia had already won the Ashes, giving Steve Waugh a liberty to experiment.
What Justin Langer Said About The Whole Situation From Back In The Day And How They Became A Duo?
Before coming out to bat with one of the greatest openers on Australian soil, Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer averaged just under 40 from the 39 Tests he had played and at the age of 30. He hadn’t been selected for any of the first four Tests of the 2001 Ashes. His average of under 30 across the eight tests in winter had pretty much closed the deal for Justin then.
While talking to ABC’s One Plus One programme, Justin Langer had said, “Literally, the week before I opened for the first time with Haydos, I told all my family I am getting on a plane and leaving (and) I am going home. I could not make a run, I thought I had failed and I would never play for Australia again. I had been dropped at the start of the series when I thought I was going to play. My wife had flown over because I was going to retire the week before.”
Wasim Jaffer has seen Langer and Hayden beat the best lineups in style and hence didn’t have to justify his choice too much. They were really one of the best in world cricket at that point of time and the opposition feared when they got going. However, things are quite different now and it will be interesting to see which players actually open the innings for the home side. The pressure will surely be on them to deliver.
