“Our bowlers look more technically sound than batters” - Matthew Hayden slams Australian team after Boxing Day Test defeat

Former Australian batter and commentator Matthew Hayden has slammed the Australian top order after their four-wicket defeat to England in the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne.

Interestingly, no Aussie batter managed to score a half-century in the fourth Ashes 2025-26 Test as the all-rounder Michael Neser top-scored for the Aussies in the first innings, while Travis Head scored the most in the team’s second innings.

"That's an unacceptable scorecard. I don't care if it was 50 millimetres of grass. You need to be better than that. 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?" Matthew Hayden said on the All Over Bar The Cricket podcast.

Additionally, Hayden stated he isn't a fan of Australia's batting coach, Michael Di Venuto, stating that it has impacted Australian batters' technical skills, especially in subcontinent conditions.

"I'm not a fan of him (Michael Di Venuto). It's not a personal thing. I just think for too long there has 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. Not just on green wickets but in the subcontinent, where we've been competitive but haven't had the skill sets required to cope in those conditions,” he noted.

"The faceless man in this cricket team is always an issue. Michael Di Venuto has been there at least five years. We need some generationally different voices in that mentality of how you play," he added.

Delving into the details of the Boxing Day Test, Australia posted only 152 runs. In response, England posted 110 runs as Australia managed to get a 42-run lead. In the third innings, Australia went on to post 132 runs. In the chase, England finished off the game with four wickets in hand.

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