Australia’s Champions Trophy campaign ended in disappointment on Tuesday with a semi-final defeat to India in Dubai. 

But for young all-rounder Cooper Connolly, the match proved to be particularly bruising.

Thrust into an unfamiliar opening role in place of the injured Matt Short, Connolly lasted just nine balls before being dismissed for a duck.

His aggressive approach backfired spectacularly, and former Australia wicketkeeper Ian Healy did not hold back in his criticism.

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‘I got so angry’: Healy slams Connolly

Speaking on SEN Radio, Healy was left fuming at Connolly’s lack of adaptability on a slow wicket.

“I got so angry,” he said.

“Travis Head was gesturing about how slow the wicket was to his partner, and Cooper Connolly just kept swinging. In those conditions, you have to work the ball around into gaps and not swing for the fences.”

Connolly’s stay at the crease was brief but chaotic. Healy pointed out that the 21-year-old played and missed repeatedly before edging behind to Mohammed Shami.

“He faced nine balls for nought. A duck. And he played and missed at the first eight and then nicked the ninth,” Healy added.

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The former Test cricketer was particularly scathing about Connolly’s technique, suggesting the youngster was more focused on finding gaps in the field than on actually making contact with the ball.

“His footwork was absent, his shot selection was poor, and his technique of the shot was poor because he was not watching the ball,” he said.

“His head was watching the gap in the field where he thought the ball was going to go, and he kept missing it all the time.”

Connolly’s promotion to opener came as a surprise, with selectors opting for him over the more experienced Jake Fraser McGurk and Aaron Hardie. He had only been elevated to the main squad 24 hours before the game, replacing Short.