India can win against odds in all conditions: Hayden

Chennai: Indian team has all the markings of a great side as it can not only fight it out but win against the odds in all conditions, former Australia opener Matthew Hayden said. India had recently defeated Australia 2-1 Down Under in a four-Test series.

Virat Kohli's men then took an unassailable 2-1 lead over England following the 10-wicket win in the third Test at Ahmedabad on Thursday. "India have shown that they are a modern team who can not only fight it out but win against the odds in all conditions. This is a mark of all the great teams in history - the ability to win both at home and away," Hayden told PTI in an e-mail interaction.

"England after their fantastic win in the first Test at the M A Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai they failed to capitalise in the 2nd Test match for exactly the same reason Australia lost momentum against the tourists in Oz.

Failure to post a huge first innings total," said Hayden. "England specifically reached an insurmountable total of 578 in the first innings of the first test in Chennai through great batsmanship of skipper Joe Root reaching 218.

"Conversely, Australia in Australia was unable to post match winning totals in the first innings of any Test, unable to convert starts into big totals."

Hayden, who smashed a double ton in Chennai albeit in a losing cause in the memorable 2001 Test series in India, felt South Africa's AB de Villiers was the best exponent of the sweep shot in modern day cricket.