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By BBC Sport Online's Scott Heinrich

The cornerstone of Australia's amazing success in recent years, in batting terms, has been their reliable middle-order.

They have made an art form of masking an often shaky top-order with the Waughs and company producing the runs to enable the team to carry on winning.

But if opposition sides have looked to the top of affairs for Australia's weakest link, they will now have to think again.

For the first time since Geoff Marsh and Mark Taylor, Australia have an opening pair of world-class stature.

Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer have been a revelation since first joining forces against England at The Oval in August.

The unique scorecard during the second Test against New Zealand
Hayden plays second fiddle during the second Test against New Zealand
A year ago, any suggestion that the two southpaws would be opening up for Australia would have been greeted with laughter.

Hayden was perilously close to being dropped, while Langer was, it seemed, firmly established in that middle-order.

But when the pair added 219 for the first wicket in the third Test against South Africa in Sydney it was their fourth double-century stand in only 10 attempts.

Their double act has been nothing short of mesmerising, averaging 112.5 for the first wicket.

And it doesn't end there.

The 1,125 runs Hayden and Langer have shared have come in 299.2 overs - a run-rate of 3.76 per over. So it is little wonder that the batsmen who follow can stroll to the middle free from care.

So what is the secret to their success?

Ask either and they will probably point to their great friendship as a good a reason as any to spend a lot of time together at the crease.

The two are vastly different in their approach to batting, despite both being left-handed - a factor often seen as a negative for an opening pair.

Analysis of Hayden's scoring habits show him to be a heavy scorer on the leg-side.

This was illustrated in the second Test at the MCG as left-arm turner Claude Henderson persisted in bowling around the wicket to both openers.

The plan was to deliver the ball across Hayden, who is allergic to shots past point, in an bid to tempt him into unknown territory - cutting.

Henderson eventually got his man (for 138), but it was a costly venture.

Hayden feasted himself by stepping inside the line and sweeping, while the spinner then erred to Langer who was content to pick him off for cheap runs on the off-side.

Langer's re-birth as an opening batsman is a win-win for Australia.

He lost his middle-order slot to Damien Martyn before the Ashes and it seemed the 33 consecutive Tests he had played to that point would count for nothing.

Langer and hayden relax by the pool during Australia's tour of India
The openers are said to be best of friends
But a century in Langer's comeback at the Oval cemented his place in the side and importantly freed up a position in the middle-order.

Hayden, it seems, has finally developed into the quality opener he for so long promised not to be.

He welcomed in the New Year as the world's leading run-scorer for the preceding 12 months and the new record-holder of most runs scored by an Australian in a calendar year.

All of which looked distinctly remote possibilities earlier in the year, when Australia embarked on their doomed tour of India with Hayden showing no sign of what he was about to achieve.

And in a perfect closure to his wonderful year, Hayden now has his close pal with him at the top of the scorecard.


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