Australia vs India 2018: Ricky Ponting Predicts the Final Scoreline of Test Series
Updated - 29 Nov 2018, 04:43 PM
The two times World Cup winning skipper Ricky Ponting has predicted the final scoreline of upcoming series between Australia and India. Ponting believes Australia will win the series by a margin of 2-1. Meanwhile, Ricky Ponting had hit the nail on the head with his Ashes prediction as he had said Australia will win 4-0.
On the other hand, Ricky Ponting backs Usman Khawaja to the trump card for the hosts. Ponting believes the southpaw batsman will end as the leading run-getter in the series and will also bag the Man of the series. Khawaja had a fine first Test match against Pakistan where his hundred helped the Aussies in drawing the match.
Ponting puts his weight behind Usman Khawaja.
“He’s on top of his game, his record in Australia is outstanding,” Ponting said of Khawaja. “As much of a threat that the Indian fast bowlers might pose, I think he’s got a game that can cope with it here in Australia.
“I’m going with him to be the leading run scorer and man of the series.
“Right now he’s in a really good place, the selectors backed him through that UAE tour, gave him a chance and he came out (better) on the other side of that,” Ponting said while talking to Cricket.com.au.
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India is yet to savour success on the Australian soil. Ponting wants to see pace and bounce in the pitches, so that it continues to trouble the Indian batsmen.
Pitches should have pace and bounce.
“I’d love to see the pitches have a little bit in them because I think our batters will bat better against their (bowlers) with something in them than their (batters) will against ours,” Ponting explained.
“We’re talking 40 years of history with India coming to Australia and not being able to win because of the fast, bouncy nature of our pitches so I’d love to see them that way.
In fact, Virat Kohli had a stellar 2014 tour of Australia. The Indian skipper had scored 692 runs on the previous tour. However, Ponting believes Khawaja will leapfrog Virat Kohli in the forthcoming series.
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India’s batting will depend on Virat Kohli.
“(Khawaja) will just pip Kohli,” said Ponting. “Kohli will play well I’m sure because he does everywhere he goes and had a great series against Australia last time.
“Just where they’re starting in Adelaide and Perth – if they leave something in them, Kohli is a bit more vulnerable in those conditions than Melbourne and Sydney.”
Ponting backs Hazlewood.
Ricky Ponting also backed Australia’s vice-captain Josh Hazlewood to be the leading wicket-taker in the four Test match series. Hazlewood is generally right on the money with his line and length.
“Adelaide and Perth will suit him down to the ground with the way he bowls and the way he presents the seam in those venues,” he continued.
“Being six (foot) five or six (foot) six (tall) as well, he’ll exploit the bounce that a lot of Indians won’t be comfortable with.”
The first Test match will take place at Adeliade from December 6.
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Ricky Ponting Usman Khawaja Virat Kohli