Mongoose Hayden | Watch Matthew Hayden Using Mongoose Bat (RARE VIDEO)

File under "Sights I Never Expected to See": Matthew Hayden, post international retirement, clobbering bowlers all around an international stadium with what looked like a baby's brass rattle in those paws of his. Here's introducing Matt the Bat, now with a longer handle, aka the Mongoose bat.

For the uninitiated, the Mongoose is a something of a miniature version of a normal cricket bat, but it has two distinguishing features: the handle is as long as the blade and the splice, which normal bats have in the blade, is built into that handle to guarantee a clean hitting surface on the bat. Its USP - if you've been following events in the build-up to the IPL - is that it essentially allows a batsman to hit harder and further without changing the way he plays. On the basis of what Hayden achieved at the Feroz Shah Kotla today, the Mongoose suits Twenty20 to the T.

Its short, stocky frame - the base is reportedly five centimeters - allows for sweet timing and that was as evident as crystal. The first sign that Hayden, after two poor games, was roaring back in to form came in the second over when he slammed three boundaries in four balls.

The Mongoose made its debut in the second ball of the fourth over, after Hayden had already muscled some good shots with his normal blade. He's has always wielded the bat like a club, but here was Hayden with a big handle and small blade. To the naked eye, the Mongoose looked silly in his bear hands. In fact, at first it just didn't look right. Surely he would mishit one, inside-edge one onto his stumps, fail to reach out to a spinner, or be caught short of his crease while putting in a dive? None happened.

The first shot Hayden played with the Mongoose was a letdown. He went for an ugly heave and got a streaky single to the leg side. You can't time a cricket ball at pace with that toothpick, was the common assumption. Then Rajat Bhatia came in to the attack for some military medium stuff, only to feel the full effect of what Hayden and his buddy could do. Bhatia to Hayden was never going to be a key contest, but this was too one-sided. Hayden swept four to fine leg, slammed a straight six, tickled another off the pads for four, and slogged four to long-on. Bhatia was nonplussed.

Right, so this thing can do a bit, you started to think. But what about against spin, when the pace is taken off and the pitch plays a bit slow and low? The answer came all too soon, as Tillakaratne Dilshan was called on for some offspin in the eighth over. Hayden was back at his furious best: Dilshan tossed it up and the punishment was immediate - three sixes stung Delhi and sent the crowd into raptures. The second was a mishit but still soared into the stands. You marveled at the distance the ball travelled after it struck the blade of the bat.
#matthew_hayden #mongoose_bat #csk

[thatsbollox]

After he retired from International cricket....so whynot try something different.
He was the perfect mix of class and brutality with a bat in hand. An awesome and demoralising sight strolling down the wicket.

[a_weird_guy]

That's something when ABD reacts like that.. if that's real

[channabasavachannu]

we all scared of Hayden in childhood 😅 batting monster ..

[premamos]

That's not a mongoose .Hayden is playing with a spoon in his hand.

[anandhunt]

Mathew Hayden is still my top 3 bats men,

[aplakusattakharyab]

Mongoose is what you call the bat for power hitting and it is a really lethal bat. If weilded by someone who knows how to balance his aggression and the agility of the bat then this bat can give you the fastest 3 digit score than any other bat. This bat is not good for long games of odi and tests but the best option for t20 matches where power hitting is inevitable

[wayne]

I come here to relive the memories everytime i watch haydos' csk interview xD

[SM-sgbd]

Please make videos of players playing with the mangoose bat

[karanshrivastava]

This audio is taken from a csk vs RR match, few of them were for murali Vijay who scored 127 from that game

[karthikramasamy]

Does someone have a longer cut of this innings? Could you post/share the link?

[vinti]

Please make more videos Matthew use ba mongoose

[saadchadu]

Annathe delhiye aan Avan adich pandaaradakkiye

[zamahussain]

We can see everything in the video but the bat, thumbs down