SYDNEY (Reuters)
Matthew Hayden was displaying better batting form than any player in the history of cricket, with the exception of the late Don Bradman, Australian captain Steve Waugh said.

Hayden was the leading run-scorer in world cricket during 2001 and left off where he finished last year with a first-innings century in the third and final Test against South Africa.

Hayden scored centuries in all three Tests to win the man of the series award and Waugh said the left-handed opener was in the greatest form of any player he had ever seen.

"Matthew Hayden's playing as well as anybody's probably ever played the game," Waugh said. "He's just in complete control of his game, his balance is magnificent, his shot execution is first-class and his temperament's really good.

"I can't imagine anyone playing better than him. But I didn't see Bradman play, so, probably excluding the Don."

Hayden and his fellow opener Justin Langer shared double-century partnerships in each of the three Tests against South Africa to set the platform for Australia's series clean sweep.

They also opened with a double-hundred stand in the first Test against New Zealand to join West Indian greats Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes as the only opening pair in history to complete four double-century partnerships.

The only difference was that the Australians achieved the feat in two months compared to 10 years for Greenidge and Haynes.

"The major difference between the two sides was those two guys," South African captain Shaun Pollock said. "They set the platform for the others guys to come in and play with freedom."

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd