IND vs AUS: Allan Border’s advice to Travis Head to improve against spin to emulate Matthew Hayden’s success

IND vs AUS: When Australia tours India for a four-Test series next year, southpaw Travis Head has been encouraged by former captain Allan Border to work on his technique against spinners if he wants to repeat Matthew Hayden’s success.

Head won the title of “Player of the Series” during the last Ashes. But in sub-continental conditions (against Pakistan and Sri Lanka), when he only managed to amass 91 runs. With the highest score of 26, his form severely declined.

“He’s (Head) got to sit down and work out a method better than it’s going at the moment, that’s for sure,” Border was quoted as saying in cricket.com.au.

Border claimed to have discussed batting on spinning wickets with Head.

“I have talked to him (Head) a little bit about batting on spinning wickets. He’s got to learn how to sweep and sweep well. And he got to use his feet, people don’t seem to prepared to go down the track and defend, even,” added Border, who has 11,174 Test runs to his name.

“We are going to sub-continent a lot, so if he wants to be in the frame. He needs to learn how to play the turning ball,” said Border and cited the example of Hayden.

“Hayden’s a great example,” quipped Border.

“There’s just few subtle things. He’s a very good player against anything other than the turning ball. That the chink he got to work on, but it (play the) sweep shot, use your feet, get on the front foot and when you are trying to defend, use nice soft hands,” Border’s suggestion for Head, who has played 28 Tests.

In 2001, Hayden had a fantastic season in India, scoring 549 runs, including two hundreds and a double hundred.

Australia will travel to India for a four-Test series the following year.

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