Australia secured a 159-run win over the West Indies in the opening Test at Kensington Oval, but their batting line-up remains a concern. The team was bundled out for just 180 in the first innings, and it was only due to strong performances from Travis Head and Beau Webster in the second that they managed to set a competitive target above 300.
The top order continued to disappoint, with young Sam Konstas managing only eight runs across two innings. He was also not part of the World Test Championship (WTC) final against South Africa, where Australia’s poor batting was a key factor in their loss at Lord’s.
Ian Healy slams Di Venuto and Players
Former wicketkeeper-batter Ian Healy didn’t hold back in his criticism, particularly targeting batting coach Michael Di Venuto.
“I love to put it back onto the players more than coaches usually. But, as I said, Australian cricket’s batting head coach – and every state batting coach – should be under pressure because there’s not enough runs being scored around the nation either,” Healy said on SEN.
“Michael Di Venuto – a friend of mine who is a good coach and a good man – has held the job since mid-2021. In this time, our national team batting has regressed in performance at the Test level,” he added.
The decision to push Cameron Green up the order has not worked. With Steve Smith injured, Marnus Labuschagne dropped, and Usman Khawaja out of form, Healy’s concerns appear well-founded.
“All that’s important to me is the performance. I don’t care how you do it or what will make it easier for you – just get it done,” he stated.
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