Touring India not a settled team for Australia Test series: Ricky Ponting
The current Indian team touring Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is not at their best says former Australian captain Ricky Ponting. The four-match Test series will be more unsettled as skipper Virat Kohli will leave after the first Test and return to India. Kohli’s departure during the series will add further uncertainty says Ponting.
Kohli will return to India to be with his wife Anushka Sharma who is expecting their first child. India will look to defend the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, with Kohli missing the final three Tests.
Moreover, the return of Steve Smith and David Warner, who were not in the 2018–19 series due to their ban would bolster the Australian side feels Ponting.
Talking to a cricket sports channel Ponting said, “The one thing we haven’t spoken enough about is yes India were really good here last time, but with those guys (Smith and Warner) missing at the top of the order, that leaves a big gap in any team.”
“India will feel that without Kohli there (for three Tests), for his batting and leadership, that will put all sorts of pressure on different players. You’d think (Ajinkya) Rahane will take over the captaincy, which will put extra pressure on him, and they’ve got to find someone to bat at that really important №4 spot,” Ponting added.
Kohli’s absence to hurt Team India morale
Ponting speculates the Indian side will struggle to fix their batting order even for the first Test — a day-night fixture scheduled to be played at the Adelaide Oval from December 17.
“(Fast bowlers Mohammad) Shami, Jasprit Bumrah — will it be Ishant (Sharma), with it be Umesh Yadav, will it be a young guy like (Navdeep) Saini or (Mohammad) Siraj? The questions that are being asked around Australia with (Will) Pucovski and (Cameron) Green, I think India have got a few more questions to answer,” Ponting said.
On the Oz squad Ponting suggests Joe Burns as David Warner’s opener for the Adelaide Test. Meanwhile, there have been talks for the inclusion of 22-year-old batsman Pucovski for the pink-ball Test.
Pucovski, is among the five uncapped players named in the 17-man squad of the Australian side. He justifies his place in the playing XI with back-to-back double centuries for Victoria in the Sheffield Shield.
“Burns hasn’t done much wrong. If you go back to last summer, he played really well in the first Test in Brisbane and I remember saying then to lock him in and give him a good go at it for a while,” Ponting said.
Ponting has also warned the Australians against making changes to a Test side coming into the series with a five-match winning streak.
“The boys have been on a roll with their performances in Test cricket and I always say you don’t want to be making too many changes if you don’t need to,” said 45-year-old Ponting who is also the coach of Delhi Capitals in the IPL.
The former Australia skipper said Pucovski is doing everything he can to make his Test debut this summer.
“I’m just reading the tea leaves a little bit, even with what Justin had to say about the relationship between Burns and Warner, my gut feeling is they won’t go to Pucovski just yet,” said Ponting.
“Opening is just another string to (Pucovski’s) bow. I’m sure if a middle order spot came up and they weren’t thinking about playing an all-rounder, I’d think his name would be mentioned ahead of Cameron Green,” he added.
The venue and date of the final three Tests are:
· Melbourne Cricket Ground (December 26–30),
· Sydney Cricket Ground (January 7–11) and
· Gabba (January 15–19).
For an unbridled sporting experience ‘on the go’, log on to Power Sportz, India’s first digital live sports channel and enjoy all updates of the Aus v Ind series.
