New Delhi, June 27 (IANS) Former wicketkeeper-batter Ian Healy believes Australia’s top-order batters must manage their nerves more effectively in Test cricket after suffering another collapse in the second innings of their ongoing Test against the West Indies in Barbados.

After a top-order meltdown resulted in them making 180 in first innings, Australia are currently 92/4 in 33 overs, after their top-order comprising Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas and Cameron Green failed to reach 20 for the second time in the game happening at Kensington Oval.

“They’re not making it easy for themselves at all. Players have got to deal better with nerves by the sound of it. They need to create sound techniques and bat with balance so you can make really sound decisions ball after ball for long periods.

“At the moment, we’re failing many of these points, and the lower order is having to deal with it, either recovering the score or losing. It’s just too hard at the moment. We’ve got to clear those minds of our top order,” said Healy on SEN Radio.

He also expressed concerns over Australia’s Test team batting standards going down ever since Michael Di Venuto became the side’s batting coach in 2021. “We’re not ones to put the pump on coaches, 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.

“So, 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 Test level. That’s all that’s important to me, the performance, I don’t care how you do it or what will make it easier for you. Just get it done,” he concluded.

–IANS

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