Border-Gavaskar Trophy: India and Australia are gearing up to have a crack at each other in a four-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy in February and March 2023. The two sides are the powerhouses in Test Cricket and are sitting on the brink to enter the World Test Championship Final 2023. However, before the series, the touring side is targeting the host side India and former Australian legend Ian Healy is one of the latest ones.
Speaking to SEN Radio on Monday, Healy backed Usman Khawaja's comments about getting different pitches for tour and practice matches. "Have you ever been pre-tour with us (Australia)? They can be spinning wickets when we play but we go to the practice matches and they are green Gabba-like wickets out there (in India), so what's the point," Khawaja had said during a press conference earlier this month.
The 58-year-old Healy agreed with Khawaja. "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," Healy said on SEN Radio on Monday. "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," he added.
The former wicket-keeper also stated that the preparation of different pitches for practice and actual matches lead to a breach of trust. "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 added.
India and Australia will play a four-match Border- Gavaskar series, starting from 9th February in Nagpur. They will then play the second Test from February 17 onwards in Delhi, followed by the third outing from March 1 in Dharamsala. The final match will be played from 9th March onwards in Ahmedabad.
