Ricky Ponting urges Australia to unleash this secret weapon vs India in Champions Trophy semi-final

Legendary cricketer Ricky Ponting has backed the young power-hitter Jake Fraser-McGurk to replace Matt Short at the top of Australia’s batting order for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 semifinal against India. This game is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, March 4, in Dubai.

Matt Short suffered the unfortunate quad injury during Australia’s group stage clash against Afghanistan, and he was ruled out of the rest of the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Later, Australia drafted their traveling reserve, Cooper Connolly, into the squad.

Ricky Ponting backs Jake Fraser-McGurk to open for Australia in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Semifinal

Connolly is a hard-hitting batter who can also contribute with off-spin, making him an ideal option for the conditions in Dubai and replacing Matt Short in the playing XI. However, Ponting believes that Jake Fraser-McGurk is the right choice for the big game against India in Dubai.

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The aggressive right-hander has already showcased his explosive batting in limited-overs cricket, and his impressive strike rate of 132 makes him a dangerous prospect at the top, according to the former Australian skipper. The legendary batter feels Jake can be a match winner for the Kangaroos in Dubai.

Ricky Ponting said in the ICC Review, “He can slot straight into that position. To be honest, that’s the way I would probably go and just hope that he has one of his days because in games like these, the semi-finals, must-win, big games, you need to throw caution to the wind.

I think he's the sort of player that if you back him and give him an opportunity, he might just be good enough to win a big game for you like that.”

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Meanwhile, Ponting also explored other options Australia could consider for their opening spot in the semifinal against the Men in Blue. He noted that Steve Smith could be a strong choice, given his success as an opener in T20s and his ability to handle fast bowling early in the innings.

He further said that there is another possibility to promote Josh Inglis to the top, allowing Australia to maintain balance in the middle order. This would also leave room for Cooper Connolly to slot in as a left-hander who could provide valuable spin options on Dubai’s turning pitch against India.

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Despite considering these options, Ponting firmly backed Jake Fraser-McGurk to replace Short, mainly because of his explosive form in the IPL last year. The young batter showcased his fearless stroke play for Delhi Capitals and finished the season with an astonishing strike rate of 234 across nine innings.

Ricky Ponting is confident Jake Fraser-McGurk can be Australia’s game-changer in the Semifinal against India

Jake’s ability to take on bowlers from the start makes him a dangerous asset, and Ponting believes that his aggressive approach could give Australia the edge in the high-stakes semifinal against India. Notably, he has so far played seven T20Is and as many ODIs, scoring 113 and 98 runs, respectively.

Ricky Ponting signed off by saying, “He probably has been a little bit disappointed with his output in the opportunities that he's had in the past six months. So, this might just be the game where he can do something...like he did in the IPL with the Delhi Capitals last season.”