No disputing (from me, anyway), that Hayden has played some good knocks with quite a bit of consistency since 2001\02. No disputing his place in the side any more.
But really Kyle, I cannot rate him in the same bracket as Ponting or any of the other names I named. Good, but not best material. For one thing, he has needed more luck than Ponting or Waugh, and for two, he looked all at sea on the rare occasion he faced seam and swing (in England in 2001). Ponting, Waugh, Waugh and Martyn all conquered them emphatically. He has turned, in my estimation, from a substandard Test batsman to a flat-track bully. Until he scores some runs consistently against good seam and swing I will always consider him so.
And as I say, the number of runs he has scored since New Zealand 2001\02 is more than slightly higher than what he has earnt.