"India is now doing in Australia what Australia used to do in India" - Ian Healy on closed-door training sessions for Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25
Legendary Australian keeper-batter Ian Healy has warned Team India against barring fans and media from their net sessions ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Healy reckons such a policy could lead to an unhappy touring sqaud.
Since the Indian cricketers landed in Australia ahead of the five-Test series, they have captured the headlines in several major newspapers. The tourists are under massive pressure ahead of the series due to a 3-0 whitewash to New Zealand at home recently.
Speaking on SENQ Breakfast, the 60-year-old recalled Australia doing something similar on trips to Asia in the past. However, he also understood that Team India may want to a 'safe space' to avoid being scrutinized day in and day out.
"India is now doing in Australia what Australia used to do in India, Pakistan and sometimes Sri Lanka – just not embracing the whole experience and the early media," he said. "If you sort of open yourself to media opportunities and do them and meet the Australian public and the many Indians that are out here – it goes a long way to a much happier tour."
"There are extra reasons why India locked themselves away, we just cannot imagine the clambering throng that they have to cope with day in, day out. So maybe training is their safe space, and they've got to get a fair few things done and they want to do it away from the prying eyes," he added.
Despite not being captain this time around, Virat Kohli has garnered plenty of attention Down Under. Having turned 36 recently and due to declining form, the veteran could be playing his last series in Australia.
"The squad just doesn't relax when you do this" - Ian Healy
In the same discussion, Healy also cited the example of England suffering a dip in perfromance when they closed themselves off from the media. The Queenslander said:
"It's never worked. The squad just doesn't relax when you do this, when you lock yourself away the media start turning the screws and the squad just can't relax. England did it when they opened themselves up, and the next one when they didn't, and it was an incredible difference in performance."
The first of the five Tests between Australia and India begins on November 22 in Perth.