IPL helped ease tension with Indian players: Hayden

Hyderabad: Sparks flew and acrimony shrouded Australia's home series against India last summer but towering opener Matthew Hayden believes the Indian Premier League (IPL) has healed the wounds and the animosity would not recur again.

India's tempestuous tour of Australia threatened to tear apart the cricket world following the racism row involving Harbhajan Singh and Andrew Symonds. Hayden, on his part, contributed to the tumult when he described Harbhajan as an "obnoxious weed".

Then came the IPL which had players from various countries sharing the dressing room and Hayden believes that normalised relations between individuals.

"IPL definitely came as a big help. It increased the players' understanding of each others' culture. I enjoyed playing for Chennai Super Kings alongside someone like (Mahendra Singh) Dhoni. It was a fantastic opportunity for me," Hayden said here on Tuesday.

Asked how he planned to tackle the Indian spinners, especially Harbhajan, on the spin-friendly tracks, Hayden said, "As an opener, my primary job is to help the side see through the first 30-40 overs, before the spinners come in the picture.

"But I enjoy the challenge of spin, more so when it's on Indian soil."