“Treating it like a schoolyard”: Healy slams poor Aussie batting performance in tense ODI win v Pakistan

Former Australian wicketkeeper and SEN’s Ian Healy has slammed Australia’s batting performance during their two-wicket win over Pakistan on Monday in the first One-Day International at the MCG.

The job was left to captain Pat Cummins to hit the winning runs as Australia chased down Pakistan’s target of 204 in 33.3 overs. The hosts were able to secure the win despite a middle-order batting collapse which saw three wickets fall in five deliveries.

Healy said the tactics of players like Jake Fraser-McGurk and Aaron Hardie, who both fell cheaply, lacked respect towards their opposition and Australia must produce a better performance in the second ODI.

“We have got a lot to learn,” Healy declared on SENQ.

“We are gearing up for a Champions Trophy so there aren’t many trials before a team has to be selected.

“We should be playing these games properly but they are treating it like a schoolyard.

“It wasn’t good enough. We won but just and with 17 overs to spare.

“Gone is the ability to just knock it around. It took Josh Inglis and Steve Smith to slow things down and even they got themselves out with shots that were false.

“Our shot selection was poor and to me, Matt Short and Jake Fraser-McGurk were playing like schoolyard bullies.

“The disregard for the conditions wasn’t good enough. The (Australian) bowlers and Mitch Starc said during the innings break that the pitch was two-paced and uneven in bounce.

“So what do we do? We think we can go out and slog the Pakistani bowlers all over the place.

“The batters didn’t learn anything from what the bowlers had told them, they didn't regard the opposition enough.

“When the Pakistan bowlers got on a roll, they were hard to suppress.

“The Australian boys’ egos weren’t able to be put away for even half an hour.

“Inglis and Smith did it and then Pat Cummins had to do it.”

Australia can clinch the three-match ODI series with a win in the second ODI at the Adelaide Oval on Friday.