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September 11, 2024
Australia’s Jhye Richardson has shared his battle with clinical anxiety during the IPL. Meanwhile, teammate Nathan Lyon points out the challenges posed by three strong Indian batsmen ahead of the AUS vs IND 2024-25 series. These factors highlight the mental and competitive challenges the Australian team must tackle as they get ready to face a tough Indian side.
Australia’s fast bowler Jhye Richardson has announced his diagnosis of clinical anxiety. He has played three Tests, 15 ODIs, and 18 T20Is, taking 57 wickets.
In an interview with cricket.com.au, the 27-year-old shared that his condition worsened during IPL 2021, which was halted midway due to multiple COVID cases within the bio-secure bubble.
With the Australian government enforcing a travel ban, players who had gone to India for the IPL found themselves stranded and uncertain about their return. Richardson was among those caught in this situation and believes he shouldn’t have traveled to India for the tournament as he was not in the right mental state.
“A lot of it started during Covid. My trip to the IPL – I left home not in the headspace I probably should have been,” Richardson told cricket.com.au.
“Then things sort of hit the fan while I was away, and everything with COVID and not being able to get home and stuff like that, it just toppled on top of each other. I think you don’t realize what sort of space you’re in until it becomes too much, which is why now I encourage a lot of young cricketers to work on their mental health – even if they think that they’re going okay,” he added.
As his condition got worse, Richardson finally asked for professional help.
“Everything just got to a point where there was some professional intervention that needed to happen,” he said.
“I’m not willing to go into a whole lot of detail, but I just landed in a spot where things were bad enough that I stepped back and said, ‘I can’t continue thinking the way that I am’ and (needed) to get a bit more education and knowledge about how the brain works,” he added.
Australian spin expert Nathan Lyon recently discussed the strong Indian batting lineup ahead of the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test series featuring India and Australia which will be held in November this year.
The Border-Gavaskar Trophy has recently become a highly competitive series. India won the last two editions in Australia in 2019 and 2021. The off-spinner’s insights are particularly important as the hosts prepare to defend their home ground.
Lyon identified three Indian batsmen as the main threat to Australia’s series success. The 36-year-old also noted that India’s batting strength extends well beyond these three players.
“Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Rishabh Pant are probably going to be the three really big ones. But then you’ve still got Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Jadeja, and who else will come out—another five, I’m not sure,” Lyon told Star Sports.
The experienced spinner, who has taken 121 wickets in 27 Tests against India, including nine five-wicket hauls, emphasized the need for consistent pressure from the Australian bowling attack.
Lyon also recognized the strength of India’s bowling attack, stating that facing Indian bowlers would present a significant challenge for the Australian batsmen.
“But it’s a pretty amazing line-up they’ve got, so it’s going to be a massive challenge. As I said, if we, as a bowling group, are good enough for long periods, hopefully, we can challenge their defense,” he added.
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Katarzyna Nowak is a seasoned writer with over five years of experience in editorial content, news reporting, and cricket sportsbook app reviews. As an author for 24kbet, she combines her deep understanding of the sports betting industry with a passion for cricket, delivering insightful and accurate content that keeps readers informed and engaged.
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