Published 19:02 IST, January 3rd 2021
Brad Haddin says India don't wish to play in Brisbane fearing hosts' impeccable record
India has expressed their unwillingness to travel to Brisbane for the fourth Test if they are confined to their hotel rooms when they aren't playing or training
Former Australian wicket-keeper batsman Brad Haddin has said that the Indian team does not want to play the fourth and final Test match at Brisbane as the hosts have an impeccable record at the Gabba. As per reports, India has expressed their unwillingness to travel to Brisbane for the fourth Test if they are confined to their hotel rooms when they are not playing or training.
'They are trying not to play': Brad Haddin
"From a cricket point of view, why would India want to go to the Gabba? No one wins at the Gabba, Australia plays really good cricket there and no one's won for a really long time (besides the Aussies). There's a lot of moving parts here. The one thing is these guys have been in a bubble for a long, long time and they might just start to be getting a little bit tired," Haddin told Fox Cricket.
"But you can't move a Test match - if a state doesn't have any virus - just because you're over the quarantine. You came to Australia knowing exactly what was going to happen ... you knew there were restrictions, you knew this could've happened. Yes, it's been a long time now they've been in quarantine first with IPL and now with the Australian summer. But it's the same with the Australian teams, we haven't heard them whinge and they've just got on with it. To me, it just looks like they're trying not to play at the Gabba," the two-time World Cup winner added.
With reports coming in that the Indian squad is not too keen to travel to Queensland if strict quarantine protocols need to be followed, the state's Health Shadow Minister Ros Bates also said that rules need to be followed. Also, Queensland's Shadow Sports Minister Tim Mander said that "same rules must apply for everyone", adding that the Indian team should not come if they do not want to abide by the rules.
Australia's formidable Test match record at the Gabba
The Aussies have a formidable record at the Gabba, Brisbane when it comes to the game's longest format. In the 55 matches that have been played at the venue, the hosts have won 33 of them and has only managed eight losses. Meanwhile, they ended up tying one game while the rest 13 of them have ended in a stalemate.
At the same time, Australia have also not lost at the Gabba in 28 matches, a record dating back to 1988.
(With ANI Inputs)
Updated 19:02 IST, January 3rd 2021