Australian Legend Ricky Ponting Names The One Australian Bowler Who Can Turn The Tide Against India

Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has called one of the Australian bowlers as a massive threat to the Indian side. India and Australia are currently engaged in a mouthwatering battle in the pink-ball Test in Adelaide, which is the first of the four Tests. Ricky Ponting feels that off-spinner Nathan Lyon remains a substantial threat to India’s chances.

Nathan Lyon, who made his Test debut back in 2011, has 86 of his 391 wickets against India. The 33-year old has been Australia’s first-choice spinner in Test cricket since nearly a decade and has delivered performances all the time when in need. In the ongoing Test in Adelaide, Lyon conceded 68 runs in 21 overs but also took the crucial wicket of Cheteshwar Pujara after an enticing battle.

Ricky Ponting underlined that Nathan Lyon has had plenty of success against India over the years, specifically against Virat Kohli, whose wicket he has claimed seven times in Tests. The Tasmanian added that the finger spinner also managed to trouble Pujara as he gets the ball to over-spin against the right-handers and with the fielders closing in, the batsman feels threatened continuously.

“He’s had as much success as any spinner, I think, against India over the years. He’s got Virat Kohli out in Tests more than anybody in the history of the game, he looked like he troubled Pujara a lot today. The right-handers now that come out to bat against him – he gets so much over-spin on the ball when you’ve got fielders around the bat – they must feel like they’re going to get out every ball,” Ponting said as quoted by Times of India.

I think it’s more about trying to challenge both sides of the bat: Ricky Ponting

The former World Cup-winning captain added that Nathan Lyon bowls very few bad balls and challenges both sides of the bat, mainly by bowling wide of the crease.

“He builds pressure, he bowls very few bad balls so he’ll be a massive threat for them. I think it’s more about trying to challenge both sides of the bat. When he creates the angle from wide and angles back in, that really challenges the inside half of the bat and a glove whereas if he can get it out a bit wider, it brings the catch at slip in play,” he added.

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