“Why would India want to go to the Gabba? No one wins there”- Brad Haddin

Former Australia wicket-keeper Brad Haddin has claimed that Indians are wary of playing the fourth Test at the Gabba due to the hosts’ exceptional record at the venue.

Haddin’s comments come in the wake of reports that India are reluctant to travel to the Gabba as they would be placed in hard quarantine – they can only move out of their hotel rooms for playing and training once they arrive in Brisbane.

“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 to Fox Cricket.

Read More | Ajinkya Rahane prepared for Australia tour by taking blows on his body during the practice session

Read More | Brad Haddin feels Indian players are scared to play in Brisbane

“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”, further added.

Queensland’s Shadow Sports Minister Tim Mander went to the extent of saying that the Indian team should not come if they do not want to abide by the rules.

“Have you ever had any dealings with the BCCI? They seem to have a fair bit of power over people. It comes down to probably what the Queensland government’s going to allow them to do… But I can’t see India not getting their way, to be honest with you.”

While India and Australia will feature in the third Test at Sydney from January 7, the fourth and final Test of the tour is scheduled to be held at the Gabba from January 15.

Source: SportsKeeda