‘It was tense’ – Alyssa Healy sheds light on awkward handshake with Harmanpreet Kaur

Australia’s women’s cricket captain, Alyssa Healy, recently revealed a comical handshake mishap with her Indian counterpart, Harmanpreet Kaur, during their recent subcontinent tour. Despite India securing victory in the lone Test match, Australia emerged triumphant in the T20I and ODI series and maintained their dominance in white-ball formats. The awkward handshake incident became a topic of discussion, with former England skipper Michael Vaughan playfully questioning Healy about it on Fox Cricket during the lunch break of Australia’s first Test against the West Indies.

Healy and Harmanpreet share a similar aggressive playing style and have distinguished themselves from the more traditional approach of players like Mithali Raj. Healy, known for her proactive approach both as a wicketkeeper and a batter, often finds herself playing the role of the calm figure amidst the team’s dynamic personalities. Despite the handshake hiccup, the Australian team’s success in the T20I and ODI series highlighted their prowess in the limited-overs formats.

“It was tense, I will say that. There wasn’t a lot of handshaking going on pre-game, nor post-game. At the end of the day after the last T20 that we won and secured the series win, we did shake hands. Good eye contact then. I think I can stand up for myself and the photo evidence shows I was ready to go, eye contact, smile on my face. It is what it is. Move on,” Healy replied when Vaughan asked about the handshake as quoted by The Weekly Times.

Australia Women are set for gruelling outing ahead of T20 World Cup

Alyssa Healy assumed the captaincy mantle from the retired Meg Lanning, who continues her cricket journey in the domestic arena. Australia are set to face South Africa in T20Is and ODIs later this month, gearing up for the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in September.

The Australian women’s team boast an impressive record, having clinched six out of eight T20 World Cups, including the last three editions. As they prepare for upcoming challenges, the team remains a formidable force in the world of women’s cricket.