Healy claimed that India might not produce good batting wickets against Australia.
Earlier, Healy had ruffled some feathers by claiming how the BCCI doesn’t prepare proper playing wickets for visiting teams and now has continued about the same subject saying if given ‘fair conditions’ to play, Aussies might excel and even win the Test series.
Healy represents the voice of former cricketers, especially from Australia and England who believe that spin-friendly wickets are a violation of fair playing conditions. The same people had defended the Gabba wicket which hosted the first Test match between Australia and South Africa which ended in two days and was dominated by fast bowlers.
Healy said on ‘SENQ Breakfast’: “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.
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.”
Australia had opted not to play any tour games claiming that BCCI provides completely different wickets from those which are used in Test matches.
On this, Healy said: “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.
What happens in India, to get ten wickets, you’ll only get ten chances, whereas in Australia with bounce, carry and speed you can create 13 chances and you can waste a couple but they don’t come along as easy in India. I just think they have to live and breathe that pressure and have a philosophy over there."
(News18 inputs)