Ganguly,Harbhajan counter Hayden

He has also said that the manner in which Harbhajan developed food poisoning on the eve of that Test was surprising.

Sourav Ganguly and Harbhajan Singh have rubbished Matthew Haydens claim that they had chickened out of 2004 Nagpur Test because of the green wicket,with the off-spinner saying that the former Australian opener wrote controversial things to sell his book.

In his autobiography Standing My Ground,Hayden has written that Gangulys late withdrawal from the Test was due greentrackitis,where you develop a severe intolerance to green wickets likely to give plenty of headaches as a batsman. He has also said that the manner in which Harbhajan developed food poisoning on the eve of that Test was surprising. Australia won the Test to ensure their first Test series win in India in nearly 35 years.

A livid Harbhajan dubbed Hayden as the biggest chicken hearted cricketer while former India captain Ganguly pointed out that he had scored a century on a pacy track in Brisabane and said that the Australian should behave like an international cricketer. Who is Mathew Hayden to judge Harbhajan Singh. I dont know what he is smoking these days, said Harbhajan.

Story continues below this ad

This is an open challenge: Whenever and wherever Hayden wants me to bowl at him,I am ready. Does he have the courage to face me. Because,whenever I have seen him bat against me,he always had a petrified look.

I have scored half century even on Australian soil. May be Hayden has this habit of conviniently forgetting the achievements of Indian cricketers, he added.

Ganguly was more restrained in his response. I request him to behave like an international player, Ganguly said. He remembered Brisbane in Nagpur. Just want to remind him of my hundred in Brisbane in the first Test. Also since 2003,we have beaten them (Australia) everytime in Brisbane. Me and Bhajji have been important part of Indian team on all those wins.