Christmas peace: Matthew Hayden, Shoaib Akhtar bury the hatchet

If Shoaib and I can make peace, surely you guys can too, Hayden writes about the sledging between India, Australia

This was a duel that eclipsed some of the biggest rivalries in the sport. The sight of arguably the world’s fastest bowler Shoaib Akhtar steaming down the pitch before being dispatched with relative ease by one of Australia’s best ever opener, Matthew Hayden. But the two on Thursday buried any on-field hatchets that they may have still been carrying.

Hayden tweeted a Christmas day picture of him alongside the Rawalpindi Express ahead of the third Test between India and Australia.

“If Shoaib and I can make peace, surely you guys can too,” Hayden wrote in a reference to the sledging controversy between India and Australia during the ongoing Test-series.

Merry #Christmas if Shoaib and I can make #peace surely you guys can too #ShoaibAkhtar @StarSportsIndia #IndiaVsAus pic.twitter.com/dxthRQkig3

— Matthew Hayden AM (@HaydosTweets) December 25, 2014

Hayden had smashed a 119 runs against Akhtar in a Test-match in Sharjah in 2002, an innings that Hayden says was a real highlight for him.

India play Australia in Melbourne on Friday in what is a must-win game for MS Dhoni's men to keep the four-match series alive. Akhtar and Hayden, who both work as commentators, are expected to take up micorphones, instead of the ball and bat as they once did.