Women's Cricket
Alyssa Healy's comment on Harmanpreet run-out irks Indian fans
"Harmanpreet cruised back and probably could’ve been passed the crease, an extra two meters if she genuinely put in the effort," Healy said.
Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur was run-out in an unfortunate manner in their 2023 ICC Women's T20 World Cup final against Australia earlier this week.
The 33-year-old's bat got stuck in the ground while she was attempting a second run and she failed to make it to the crease before Australian wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy flicked off the bails.
Kaur's run-out was certainly the turning point in a match where India seemed to be cruising to an easy win.
Speaking in the post-match press conference, Harmanpreet Kaur termed the run-out as unlucky.
"I think we were really unlucky that my bat got stuck in the ground. We could have finished the match with one over to spare, if I was not out," the Indian captain had said.
Alyssa Healy, ahead of their T20 World Cup Final against South Africa, took a dig at Harmanpreet Kaur during an interaction with ABC Sport surrounding the run-out.
The Australian implied that the Indian was casual in running back for the second.
"Harmanpreet can say all she likes that it was so unlucky," she said.
"At the end of the day, she cruised back and probably could’ve been passed the crease, an extra two meters if she genuinely put in the effort. So, we’ll take it,” the wicketkeeper added.
Healy's comment did not set well with Indian fans, who soon rallied behind their skipper with a show of support.
"Being a WK, I understand you want credit for this, but I think showing empathy for the situation is imp too. "genuinely put in the effort" is a bit much, She has literally played through sickness," wrote a Twitterati.
"You just can't expect grace from everyone - as simple as that. You may be a captain/player - but it takes a lot to be a leader and to earn respect from opposition or from the fans of opposition," added another.
Fans were also quick to bring forth a video from the 2022 Commonwealth Games, where Healy stumped Shafali Verma with the wrong hand, giving the Indian a reprieve.