Australia vs India 2018: Ricky Ponting Issues Warning Signs for India

Former Australia World Cup-winning skipper Ricky Ponting is of the opinion that the Indian top order could be found out wanting yet again in the seam and swinging conditions for the Test series against India. The much-awaited series is slated to be played later in the year.

Ponting’s comments were in reference with India’s terrible batting performance against England in the just-concluded five-match Test series which they eventually lost by a 4-1 margin.

Team India will be hoping to win their first ever Test series in Australia and Ponting feels that spicy tracks Down Under will rekindle the demons which India went through during the tour of England.

Ponting feels that Australia will keep their exceptional and proud record against India in the home series intact.

Ricky Ponting feels if the ball swings and seams around India will be in trouble:

“If the ball does swing around a lot or seam around a lot. Then, I think India will find it difficult in Australia,” Cricket Australia quoted Ponting.

 

“I think any time we saw India struggle through the England series was when the ball moved. As soon as the ball started to move in the air, or seam, the Indian batsmen will always struggle. It’s no different to when Australia go to the subcontinent, and the ball spins from day one. We always struggle with that as well,” he added.

Team India haven’t managed to win a Test in their last two attempts in Australia. While they were thrashed 4-0 during the 2011/12 series, they managed a 2-0 defeat when they toured in 2014 which was the last time Mahendra Singh Dhoni played Test cricket.

In 2018, captain Virat Kohli had a fabulous run in England scoring 592 runs. He was at his exceptional best when he played in Australia last time around.

However, it was the captaincy of Virat Kohli which came under scrutiny during the Test series in England. However, Ponting came to his defence and said that a lot about on-field captaincy is about instincts. He felt that a major chunk of leadership role pertains to matters outside the playing arena.

Ricky Ponting defends Virat Kohli:

“I’ve never sat back and tried to analyse what playing captains do. I know when I was captain on the field [it] is about 30 or 40 per cent of what you need to be in control of,” Ponting said.

“The rest of it happens behind closed doors or in the change rooms and quite often back in the hotel when you’ve got time to yourself,” he maintained.

 

“Trying to find ways to spend time with your teammates. [And] learn about them inside out and trying to find a way to make them perform better on the field. It’s not so much about a bowling change or a field placement as that part of the game is highly overrated as far as I’m concerned. The tactical stuff is normally worked out a few days before the game. And then you go with your gut instinct about the game out on the ground once the game starts,” he maintained.

Team India starts off their tour Down Under with a three-match T20I series beginning from November 21. They will directly play a four-match Test series after the 10-day preparation window. The first Test of the series begins in Adelaide from 6^th December.

But Ricky Ponting totally backs Australia against India.