- Tuesday, March 04, 2025
By: Shubham Ghosh
Former Australia captain Ian Healy has lashed out at India saying the hosts ‘scuppered’ the visitors’ plan to get some practice on the used pitch in Nagpur where the first Test of the ongoing four-match series got over inside three days.
According to news.com.au, Healy told SEN that the International Cricket Council (ICC) should step in after what happened at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur where Australia faced a heavy defeat by an innings and 132 runs to trail 0-1.
The Australian side reportedly wanted to practise on the central wicket in Nagpur after the match got over but their plan remained unfulfilled as the pitch had already been watered by the ground staff members.
Nagpur curators reportedly watered the pitch after Australia planned to train on it. ?#INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/fpnusUEOjM
— SEN Cricket (@SEN_Cricket) February 12, 2023
Healy called the act “pathetic”.
“It’s really embarrassing the scuppering of our plans to get some practice sessions on that Nagpur wicket,” Healy said.
“That’s not good, that’s just not good for cricket. The ICC needs to step in here.
“For them to water the wicket unceremoniously when it was requested for practice is horrible and that has to improve,” the 58-year-old former wicket-keeper-batter, who played 119 Tests and 168 one-day internationals between 1988 and 1999, said.
Earlier, some Australian journalists and former cricketers accused India of doctoring the pitch to suit their game. India batted once in the match to score 400 runs while Australia managed only 177 and 91 in their two outings. Spinners played a big role for both the teams in the game, claiming 24 of the 30 wickets that fell.
The second Test starts in Delhi on Friday (17) and there too, the surface is expected to aid the spinners.
Australia have not beaten India in a Test series since 2014-15.
