Former Australian opener Matthew Hayden has voiced criticism of South Africa’s approach on the opening day of the World Test Championship final against Australia at Lord’s. South Africa, after winning the toss, chose to bowl first, a decision that saw their pace attack, led by Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen, restrict Australia to 212 in their first innings. Hayden, speaking as a JioStar expert, expressed his reservations about South Africa’s lack of intent, specifically highlighting the captaincy of Temba Bavuma. He noted that Bavuma’s approach set a tone that was not aggressive enough, which could prove detrimental against Australia’s world-class fast bowlers. Hayden emphasized the importance of setting a more aggressive tone with the bat on Day 2, suggesting that even a few boundaries could shift the momentum. South Africa, however, struggled in their own innings, losing four wickets for just 43 runs by the end of the day, leaving them trailing by 169 runs.
Hayden Criticizes Bavuma’s Captaincy and South Africa’s Batting Approach in WTC Final
