Still think opening the batting is the best time to bat in any format: Healy

Donning the wicket-keeping gloves and opening the batting in Test cricket is overtaxing, but Australia's Alyssa Healy is eager to perform both roles in the women's Ashes Test starting on Thursday (January 27) in Canberra. The 31-year-old has opened in her last two Tests but hasn’t been at her best with the bat. 

Against England in July 2019, the right-handed dasher smashed 58 in her first innings as an opener but then had to keep for 107 overs. Healy could then only manage 13 in the second innings. Even against India in 2021, Healy had to keep for 145 overs before coming out to bat under lights against the pink ball. She could only score 35 runs in two innings.

"There's obviously ongoing chats about it. I think the approach we took in that last Test match we played was we'll see how we go. I mean, if things don't quite go to plan, we're out in the field for an extended period of time and I am feeling fatigued then we make that call on the fly and maybe I don't open the batting. But I'm always going to stick my hand up and say I'm ready to go and ready to contribute whether that be at the top of the order or with the gloves, so I'm sure it will be okay," said Healy.

"Hopefully, we get the full four days in and I'm out there for all four days. I look forward to that challenge and test my body, physically and mentally. The chats are being had but at this point in time, considering it's such a one-off event for us, I want to be involved as much as I can."

There are only five wicketkeepers in the history of women's Test cricket who have averaged more than 30 while opening the batting. England's Betty Snowball is the only one to average more than 40. Meanwhile, in men's Test cricket, only six wicketkeepers have made more than 400 runs while opening the batting.

"I still think opening the batting is the best time to bat in any format. It's going to be a little bit tricky, obviously with the new red ball, but I'm looking forward to the opportunity and the challenge that the England attack are going to throw at us," said Healy.

The right-hander didn't have a great WBBL campaign with the bat, scoring 213 runs at an average of just 19 for the Sydney Sixers. "I'm actually a little bit quietly excited about the opportunities of some slightly longer-format cricket, obviously the Test match and then the one-dayers leading into a World Cup," she said.

"I feel like everything's back where it should be for me at the crease, and whilst it may or may not have looked like it in the first T20, I feel like I'm in a really good place with my batting again. So I'm really excited for the opportunity to spend a bit of time out in the middle and, hopefully, get my team into a really good position to win whether it be a Test match or a one-dayer."

However, Healy still doesn't know who is going to be her opening partner. Beth Mooney fractured her jaw last week but is still hopeful of being fit for the Ashes Test, while Rachael Haynes missed the Test against India because of a hamstring injury and is raring to go against England.

"Absolutely no idea. We haven't even had that discussion yet. We were just trying to get through these T20s. I don't know the chat around Moons, I'm not really sure where they're at with her, whether or not she's playing, not going to play, likely to play, so I can't really answer that question," Healy said. 

"But I've got no doubt that we've got a lot of coverage here and obviously with the Aussie A squad around, someone would come in and do a really good job. Whoever it might be, I'll just welcome them to the crease like I did Meg (Lanning) the other night."