Australia legend Ian Healy was slammed online after he made an explosive claim about Team India ahead of the Test series between the two sides.
After beating Sri Lanka and New Zealand in limited-overs cricket in recent days, the Rohit Sharma-led team will return to Test match action against Australia in Nagpur next week.
The blockbuster series against the Australian cricket team is crucial for India, considering it would decide the finalists of the World Test Championship (WTC). The Indians could ensure their place in the title clash of the competition by beating the visitors in the 4-game series at home. The final will take place in England in June.
Australia last won a Test series in India in 2004/05 and experienced a 4-0 whitewash at the hands of the then-MS Dhoni-led side in 2013.
On the contrary, Team India has dominated them even in Australia, becoming the first Asian side to defeat them 2-1 in a Test series in 2018-19.
The Indian cricket team then made history two years later when a young team that was missing the likes of Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, and other senior players beat Australia again with Rishabh Pant, helping them to breach the Gabba fortress.
Despite India's recent superior record against Australia, Ian Healy reckoned that if the hosts provided them with “good” wickets, the Pat Cummins-led side would be able to trump them in the series.
“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,” Ian Healy said on SEN Radio.
“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,” Ian Healy added.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
However, the former Australian wicketkeeper's comments didn't impress users on social media, with the Indian cricket team's supporters calling him “arrogant” and “stupid” for hurling such accusations at the home side.
Cry #IanHealy cry. @imVkohli @ImRo45 never cried when you produced wickets to suit your @CricketAus team. @BCCI will produce wickets as per Indian conditions. This is international cricket. #INDvsAUS
— Kuraf@ti (@kushagraraghav) February 3, 2023
If India produces "fair" wickets, Australia will win. India will be favorites on turning tracks – Former Aus WK Ian Healy
I didn't understand this. Does it mean making turners are 'unfair'? He forgot the pitch Aus gave SA a month ago?
No wonder why Kohli called him out in a PC
— Anuj Nitin Prabhu 🏏 (@APTalksCricket) February 2, 2023
Typical Arrogant Aussie mentality from Ian Healy. Still thinks they control the "The Line". No mate, that time is long gone. Deal with it. https://t.co/EMr6Wta5Hl
— Puspen Mandi (@MasterNorb) February 2, 2023
They are, and Ian Healy seems to be the rotten one among the pile of bitter gourds.
— Anuj Poudel (@Poudel017Anuj) February 2, 2023
So fair wickets are the wickets where Australia will win. If they lose, it is because of unfair. This means that Australia lost in 2020-21 test series because somehow India magically made unfair wickets in Australia. Stop playing these stupid mind games #IanHealy
— Harry (@cricfreac) February 3, 2023
What was that Gabba pitch in December against SA? Whiner #IanHealy
— Piaaaar (@priyathamr) February 3, 2023
But this isn't the first time Ian Healy has made such a statement this week.
On Monday, he accused India of “denying quality preparation” to the visitors before the start of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
“We’ve gathered our spinners in Sydney for strategic talks (on replica India surfaces)… we no longer trust that the requested facilities will be provided for a nation,” Ian Healy said.
“We’ve been part of this shenanigan too by the way… when we’re over (in England) we spend our time whinging about weakened County teams that England put up as our opposition before the series.”
“Our focus in cricket has shifted from creating opportunities and experiences for our best up and coming cricketers… now we deny touring teams quality preparation before very highly anticipated series and I don’t like it. It’s disappointing to watch such dismantling of trust between cricket’s nations and it needs to stop,” he elaborated.
“Touring teams seem to all struggle these days and here we go again, we’re going to India without a whole lot of Indian practice under our belts, let alone England later in the year where we haven’t won since 2001,” Ian Healy pointed out.
“In India they’re (Australia) hoping everything will click and the squad freshens up with net practice… our coaching staff are content with this and I’ll trust them for now. I would, however, like to see a tour match between the second and third Test in India… I’d love to see a three-day game so that our seven reserves (in the 18-man squad) we’ve got over there can have a good hit out,” Ian Healy concluded.
Senior Australia batter Steve Smith shared similar sentiments regarding not playing warm-up matches in India.
“We normally have two tour games over in England. This time we don’t have a tour game in India,” Steve Smith told reporters at the Sydney airport before the Pat Cummins-led side’s departure for India. “The last time we went [to India], I’m pretty sure we got served up a green top [in the tour game], and it was sort of irrelevant.”
“Hopefully, we get really good training facilities where the ball is likely to do what it’s likely to do out in the middle, and we can get our practice in. We’ll wait and see when we hit the ground. I think we’ve made the right decision to not play a tour match. We’re better off having our own nets and getting spinners in and bowling as much as they can,” Steve Smith stated.
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