Ian Healy is a ‘fair dinkum’ Aussie. He was someone who characterised the Australian spirit in the ’80s and the ’90s.
Not just with his excellent glovework — he has 366 catches and 29 stumpings in 119 Tests — but also with his feisty batting in crisis situations; the Queenslander made 4356 Test runs with four centuries.
The 50-year-old Healy is grappling with a broken foot these days but hardly missing any action as a media personality.
On Thursday when Brad Haddin equalled an Australian Test record of six dismissals in an innings — Wally Grout, Rodney Marsh and Healy are the other three ’keepers with the same number of victims in an innings — The Hindu caught up with the Aussie great.
Healy acknowledged Haddin’s achievement. “Brad’s an excellent ’keeper. I think he held them well. When you keep in Brisbane or Perth, the chances of you combining with the bowler for wickets increase.”
Talking about India’s performances in the series, Healy said he was mighty impressed with Virat Kohli’s batsmanship.
“I have watched Sachin (Tendulkar) bat and I must say he (Kohli) seems to have the ability to bat like him. He’s got a very good range of shots, both, against pacemen and spinners and can take the game away quickly,” he said.
On Vijay’s evolution as a solid all-weather opening batsman for India, Healy said, “He’s been very good. He’s so balanced and he has really played well off his back foot. He gets really back and makes good use of the crease.”
Healy added, “In Australia, Vijay’s shot-selection has been excellent, he is clear about what he wants to play and has not been caught in two minds. He’s let the ball go outside off so well. I think he has handled pressure brilliantly.”
WarningThe great wicketkeeper warned against teams not picking a specialist reserve ’keeper on tours — “it can be a dangerous situation for the team if the team’s lone ’keeper gets injured during work-out on the morning of the match” — and said the value of a good ’keeper in Twenty20 cricket was understated.
“When there are just 20 overs, the extra batsman is wasted. But the opportunity for a dismissal, a quick stumping or a catch standing up, can change the course of the match.
“A good ’keeper gives the bowlers confidence. If he leaks runs and makes mistakes, it won’t help the side’s morale.”
Healy said his favourite wicket-keeper in contemporary cricket was Pakistan’s Sarfraz Ahmed. “I saw him in the matches in UAE and he impressed me with his balance, glovework and anticipation.”
The Aussie is pleased with Wriddhiman Saha’s wicket-keeping too.
“I think he is outstanding with very confident glovework. He covers a large area against the pacemen, particularly on the leg-side. He’s agile and very good keeping to the spinners.”
Healy, however, said the value of having M.S. Dhoni in the side could not be ignored. “He doesn’t make many mistakes. Gets the job done.”
Travelling back to the days when he kept to two legendary bowlers, Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne, Healy recalled, “McGrath wasn’t fast. He did not move the ball very much either. Yet he got so many wickets because he knew exactly what to bowl to which batsman. He would unerringly pitch the ball at the spot he wanted to.”
On Warne’s attributes, Healy said, “Like McGrath, he read each batsman well and bowled accordingly.
“Everyone knew what he would bowl but Warne kept beating them with spin, subtle variations and accuracy.”
