Deteriorating wicket not a worry: Hayden

After watching the ball spin and jump viciously during the final overs on Friday, even the most optimistic Australian supporter would worry about what lies ahead for his team, reports HT Correspondent.

After watching the ball spin and jump viciously during the final overs on Friday, even the most optimistic Australian supporter would worry about what lies ahead for his team.

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But surprisingly, Matthew Hayden was a picture of poise and composure. "I think we had a very successful day despite the challenging conditions. Though the conditions would get tougher from here on, we have full faith in the abilities of our batsmen to handle spin and I think we could save the game," he said.

Despite being satisfied with their overall showing, the burly opener did have a regret. "It was disappointing to see all our batsmen not going on to score big. We would have obviously liked someone to get a really big one, but that just didn't come about," he said.

Talking of his innings, which is incidentally his first significant knock of the series, Hayden said he set up himself to bat for a long time. "With 600-plus on the board, it required a more traditional approach, waiting and taking advantage of the loose balls," he said.

The burly opener said Saturday's morning session would be crucial for it would decide the course of the game. "The more time we spend in the middle, the more we can hurt India," he said.

Ban too harsh: Viru

Virender Sehwag said it would have been better had Gautam Gambhir been let-off with a docked match fee, instead of the one-Test ban. "Gambhir pleaded guilty and was punished. But I think he could have been let off with a docked match fee," he said.

Hayden though sounded satisfied. "Look, I'm not sure how to comment on something which is in the ICC's jurisdiction... But there is no doubt that physical contact is just not part of the game," he said.