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Ian Healy. (Credit- Getty Images )
Former Australia cricketer Ian Healy has made a very unusual remark about the Indian pitches, in the build up to the upcoming all-important Border Gavaskar Trophy, which is scheduled to be played from February 9, 2023. Both the preceding editions were conducted in Australia, and both of them have been won by India.
Both the editions’ victories were historic as the 2019 one was about India registering their first-ever Test series victory on Australian soil, the 2021 one was no less than a fairytale, starting with the 36 all-out fiasco in Adelaide to the epic breaching of Gabba fortress.
Ian Healy’s cryptic dig at Indian pitches
“I think if they produce fair Indian wickets, that are good batting wickets, to start with, (that) probably spin and spin pretty consistently but spin a long way, late in the match … we (Australia) win,” the 58-year-old said on SENQ Breakfast.
The former wicketkeeper-batter’s words were laced with some very unusual digging at India. Also, Healy’s comments came after the much-talked-about Ekana stadium pitch in Lucknow from India’s second T20I outing versus New Zealand, which was not only a very low-scroing thriller, but had many cricketers, including IHardik Pandya labelling it as a ‘shocker’.
“I’m worried about (Mitchell) Starc and (Nathan) Lyon in the first Test. If they’re unfair wickets which I’ve seen in the last series, where balls were jumping ridiculously and sliding down low from day one, I think India play those conditions better than us,” said Healy.
On an ending note, Healy went on to caution the less-experienced Aussie cricketers to take up the fielding lessons very seriously and not succumb to any sort of pressure easily, more so because India in recent times have set some amazing international fielding standards in world cricket.
“I want the players to be very aware if they are escaping that pressure (from the locals) if you’re escaping that pressure and hiding in your room using the golf simulator… I think you’ve got to do something else. That’s an escape, you shouldn’t be doing it, you’re dodging, just be very aware of what you are feeling at any given time. Immerse yourself before you really get to deploy your technique… don’t drop catches, fielding can be difficult over there,” he concluded.
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