Former Australian opener Matthew Hayden has said that Steve Smith and Virat Kohli to leave their authority in the upcoming Border Gavaskar Trophy series 2024-25 as well. The veteran also stated that the two batters are nearing the end of their careers which will motivate them to do so even more as well.

However, Smith and Kohli are part of the Fab 4 and they have been amongst the most important run-getters of all time as well. Kohli, who debuted in Test cricket in 2011, witnessed success during the 2014-15 series Down Under when he hit over 650 runs. Smith, meanwhile, averages 65.87 against India with nine Test tons as well.

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Speaking to PTI on the sidelines of the CEAT Cricket Rating Awards on Wednesday, August 21, Matthew Hayden opined: “Cricket is a game of momentum and I’m sure those two players, coming now to the later pages of their cricketing careers, will be very keen to dominate the landscape through the summer. That’s their nature. They do it in very different ways, very different styles, but certainly they really are the key to the Australian summer.”

However, Steve Smith and Virat Kohli faced off in the World Test Championship (WTC) final last year. While Kohli managed scores of 14 and 49, Smith made 121 and 34 as Australia won by 209 runs. With opener Yashasvi Jaiswal making a thunderous start to his Test career, Hayden said that his battle with off-spinner Nathan Lyon should be interesting.

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“Isn’t it great that the series is shaping up the bare-heavyweight bout, someone like the GOAT going after , what is in my opinion one of the key assets for Indian cricket. Yes he’s certainly proving to be that. Young Jaiswal is an exciting prospect to see how he’ll play. He is a package. His ability in particular to get on the up through the covers is phenomenal. That’ll also have its vulnerabilities. I’m looking forward to seeing how he adjusts on bouncy tracks,” Matthew Hayden concluded.