Chennai, March 11 (IANS) Former Australian opening batsman Matthew Hayden Thursday formally launched the evolutionary 'Mongoose' bat that has a longer handle and smaller blade but a bigger sweet spot than the conventional cricket bat.

The burly southpaw demonstrated 'power hitting' on the sidelines of a media conference here and endorsed the product, saying it had a faster bat speed besides power designed specifically for Twenty20 cricket.

The Mongoose bat, named after the animal known for its ferocity, is said to be a 'ball crusher' and Hayden, known for his big-hitting, said: 'Cricket has advanced and evolved over the years in terms of the way it is played and also the equipment. Initially, I was skeptical of the Mongoose bat, but after playing three balls and some adjustments, I quite liked it.'

In the ensuing third edition of Indian Premier League, Hayden, who represents Chennai Super Kings, along with compatriot Andrew Symonds (Deccan Chargers) and West Indian Dwayne Smith (Deccan Chargers), would be using the Mongoose bat, according to its creator Marcus Codrington Fernandez, Director, Mongoose Cricket Ltd.

Fernandez said the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) had declared the bat legal and permitted its use in India and worldwide.

The handle of the Mongoose bat is 43 per cent longer and the blade 33 per cent shorter than the conventional bat. 'Since there is no splice, the sweet spot is increased by 120 per cent,' he said.

For the moment, 100 bats in two categories will be launched in India and all of them would be signed by Hayden, according to Fernandez. They are priced at between Rs. 17,000 and Rs. 23,000.

Hayden said the bat has good balance besides tremendous bat speed. 'Twenty20 is about scoring runs quickly. I am sure the Mongoose bat is ideal for this format.

'I am very excited by the potential of this bat and I feel just like Twenty20, it will also be accepted,' Hayden said while asserting the small size of the bat would not be a handicap in playing short-pitched balls or bouncers.

Fernandez hoped some of the top Indian players would also endorse his product. 'But Indian cricketers are far too expensive, but provide a lot of value. I would love to have somebody like Sachin Tendulkar or Virender Sehwag use the Mongoose bat,' he said.