Australia will not be playing a single practice game in India before the opening Test in Nagpur, and Khawaja, a member of the touring side, said it won’t harm the team’s chances on spinning sub-continent wickets.
Former Australia gate- keeper Ian Healy does n’t agree with fat run- getter Usman Khawaja’s opinion that practice matches aren’t needed ahead of the four- Test Border- Gavaskar series in India beginning February 9.
Australia won’t be playing a single practice game in India before the opening Test in Nagpur, and Khawaja, a member of the touring side, lately said it won’t harm the platoon’s chances on spinning sub-continent lattices.
“Have you ever beenpre-tour with us? They can be spinning lattices when we play but we go to the practice matches and they’re green Gabba- suchlike lattices out there so what’s the point, ” Khawaja was quoted as saying lately by the Australian media.
“I suppose we’ve eventually learned. When I heard we were n’t going to have a practice game I went up to( head trainer) Andrew McDonald and said, ‘ good idea ’. ”
Australia batsman Steve Smith will prepare for this time’s Ashes series in England by playing three matches for English platoon Sussex in the four- day County Championship.
Smith’s short- term deal will see him play three matches in May ahead of the Ashes, which starts with the first Test at Edgbaston on June 16.
Australia could also feature in the World Test Championship final at the launch of June at the Oval in London.
In the last Ashes series in England — in 2019 — Smith scored 774 runs and equaled 110.57.
“To have arguably the world’s stylish batter play for Sussex just before an eagerly awaited Ashes Test series is great for us and the County Championship, ” Sussex CEO Rob Andrew said Thursday.
Smith, test justice’s No. 2- ranked batter, said he was “ particularly looking forward to working with the youngish players in the team and hoping I can give some guidance to them. ”
Healy, 58, on Thursday, begs to differ and said that while someone like Khawaja, who’s in peak form, might not bear fine- tuning on Indian pitches, there would be numerous in the side who need to get used to sub-continent lattices.
“That’s an in- form natural batsman( Khawaja) talking, ” Healy told SEN Radio on Thursday.
“I suppose the baits would like a ‘ coliseum- off ’ into it and so the synthetic players who need some reiteration and to grind before getting back into it. It’s not for everyone practice matches, but it’s for some, ” added Healy. The touring side under Pat Cummins isn’t listed to play any stint games in between Tests, and Healy thinks that could hurt Australia’s chances in the pivotal series.
“How do we get players back into form? There ’ll be no games in between the four Tests moreover. Someone who’s going to be sitting on the bench for three matches might get dragged in, we ’ve got to be careful. ”
The stager of 119 Tests and 168 ODIs added that he was concerned for someone like leader Lance Morris, who could make his debut for Australia on the stint.
“I’m a little bit upset, not so important for an Usman( Khawaja) and that kind of personality that he’s got with great natural faculty. But a Lance Morris, I want to keep him fire , I would be looking to find games for a many of those( players).
“We want them to play games, see if there’s a club game if there’s such a thing in India. I do n’t need him( Morris) getting banal or wearied without form behind him, ” editorialized Healy. Know More Test Cricket News…
