England's disastrous Ashes tour has descended into fresh controversy after former Australian opener Matthew Hayden launched a stinging attack on fast bowler Jofra Archer for his demeanour during the crushing second Test defeat at The Gabba.
A 'Shocking Look' at The Gabba
Archer was spotted arriving on the third day of the match, which England lost by eight wickets, carrying a pillow under his arm. The sight prompted immediate criticism from Australian great Matthew Hayden, who was commentating for Channel 7. "I'm sorry but that's a shocking look," Hayden declared. He argued the image would serve as motivation for any Australian batsman at the crease.
"If I was a batsman I tell you what I'd be doing. I would be digging in forever," Hayden said. "It would be exactly what you need as a batsman I can tell you. You'd be looking over at that and going, 'you are never going to sleep with that. Not any part of this day are you going to see that ... not even in the night'."
His sentiments were echoed by fellow ex-Australian Test player Simon Katich, who questioned Archer's durability. "I agree, I don't think it's a great look, bringing a pillow to a Test," Katich stated. "He had plenty of chances to sleep last night. This will be a big challenge for him. His durability was questioned before the series. The 15 Tests in six years."
Stokes's Defiant Stand and Stark Warning
The incident compounded a miserable match for England, who now trail 2-0 in the series after also being defeated in Perth inside two days. Amid the criticism, captain Ben Stokes delivered a defiant performance with the bat alongside Will Jacks, and later a stern message to his squad.
Stokes and Jacks put on a 96-run partnership off 220 balls, the longest by any England pair this series, adopting a patient, fighting approach markedly different from the team's earlier 'Bazball' aggression. "I said last night that I wanted us to take the scoreboard out of the equation and all I wanted us to focus on was just to fight," Stokes explained after his innings of 50.
He followed this with a clear warning to any player not showing the required mentality. "Teams that come to Australia can't be soft or weak. There is no room for that in any dressing room I'm in charge of," Stokes asserted. "We pick people on ability and skill and we also pick people on character and mentality. There are a few things that need to be addressed on that."
Archer's On-Field Tensions and Questions
The pillow controversy was not the only flashpoint involving Archer. Questions were raised about the variance in his bowling speed, which appeared significantly faster during Australia's second innings than earlier in the match.
Furthermore, the match concluded with a tense exchange between Archer and Australian stand-in skipper Steve Smith. After Smith hit him for four, Archer remarked, "You only play those shots when there's not much on the score, mate." Smith instantly retorted, "You only bowl fast when there's nothing going on, champ."
With the series now at a critical juncture and England needing a victory in Adelaide to keep their hopes alive, the focus will be on whether Stokes's call for greater fight can translate into a changed performance, both in attitude and on the scoreboard.
