Cricket great Ian Healy calls for ICC to step in after ‘pathetic’ act from pitch curators in India

Australian cricket great Ian Healy has launched a scathing attack on Indian cricket authorities for apparently allowing pitch curators in Nagpur to disrupt Australia’s plans to practice at the VCA Stadium.

The Australians’ hopes of winning a first series in India in 19 years got off to a disastrous start last week as they were beaten by one innings and 132 runs after falling to their lowest total in the country.

With the test completed in three days, Australia was granted permission to use the course to practice on what was effectively a fourth-day surface.

Ian Healy criticized Indian cricket authorities for screwing up Australia’s practice plans

However, according to the Sydney Morning Herald, the plans went off the rails once curators on the ground watered down the stadium’s wicket and nets.

As a result, Australia were forced to cancel their session, a development Healy described as “pathetic” in SENQ breakfast on Monday.

“I think it’s a pathetic effort,” said the former goalkeeper.

‘It’s really shameful the failure of our plans to get some practice sessions at that Nagpur wicket.

Australia had hoped to practice at the VCA Stadium on Monday morning, but the ground showered the stadium’s wicket and nets.

The Australians collapsed to 91 in their second innings on Saturday, losing the first Test by one innings and 132 runs at Nagpur.

‘That’s not good, that’s not good for cricket.’

Healy also called for the International Cricket Council to intervene to ensure requests from touring teams were honored wherever possible.

“The ICC must step in here and say: ‘Our nations must trust each other, it must be better, if you ask for certain conditions to practice and prepare, you must get them,” he continued.

“Roughly watering the wicket when called for practice is horrible and that has to improve.”

Australia’s stay in Nagpur has been marred by on-pitch controversy, with curators accused of tampering with the platform at the VCA Stadium in the run-up to the first match of the Border-Gavaskar series.

Several officials in Indian uniforms, including head coach Rahul Dravid and captain Rohit Sharma, on occasion watched as staff selectively watered and mowed specific areas of the pitch.

India appeared to be trying to capitalize on Australia’s strong left-footed batting lineup, which duly fell apart to 177 and 91 in both innings.

India, on the other hand, seemed relatively calm during her dig, racking up 400 runs.

The course in Nagpur was at the center of controversy last week, when it appeared that field staff tampered with the surface to target Australia’s left-handers.

Pat Cummins has admitted that the Nagpur wicket was not unplayable in India

Sharma scored his first India Test as captain with a ton, while all-around star Ravindra Jadeja contributed 72 runs and spinner Axar Patel added a precious 84 runs.

Speaking after the match, Australia captain Pat Cummins admitted that the surface was far from unplayable.

“The game moves quite fast sometimes here in India and you have to manage the tempos, India played very well and Rohit showed his class,” he said.

‘Those first innings, the wicket spun but it wasn’t unplayable. We would have loved to have gotten another 100 or more runs and pushed his innings.’

The second Test starts in Delhi on Friday morning (AEDT), while the third Test has been moved from the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala to Indore due to outfield concerns.