Cowan praises Ponting’s improved performance – Cricket News Update
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ricardo-Gouveia-c84824 Ponting’s gradually improving performances.
“He's probably felt a little bit unlucky, it only takes something to go your way and you're away. He's probably out of runs but not out of form as people have made out,” Cowan observed.
Ponting, widely considered one of Australia’s modern greats, found his career in contention after a batting slump led to his axing from the national ODI squad in February, in the middle of the Commonwealth Bank series. With his future in the limited-overs
format of the game thrown into severe doubt, the 37-year-old expressed the desire to continue playing Test cricket.
He rejoined his domestic side, the Tasmanian Tigers, with whom he managed to find his rhythm again, registering scores such as 75, 130, and 111.
However, once he rejoined the national squad for the extended-overs leg of the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/West-Indies-c760 tour, the right-hander again fell into a slump, managing scores such as 13 and 23 in the tour match against the West Indies Cricket Board XI, and following that up
with a dismal 4 and 14 in the first Test of the series.
With 7 off 26 balls in the first innings of the ongoing 2nd Test, Ponting looked to be continuing his mediocre run, but Australia’s second innings, which began with http://www.senore.com/Cricket/KAJ-Roach-c1758 demolishing the top order and reducing the tourists to 57 for 3, saw
the batsman stepping up to the challenge, and posting a yet unbeaten 32 on the board. With the top order gone, Ponting, along with http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Clarke-c51120, remain the Aussies' best bets.
Acknowledging Ponting’s efforts, especially against the brutal pace of Roach, Cowan (who opened for http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Tasmania-c854 in the current season alongside Ponting) pointed out that despite the difficult surface, the veteran batsman was playing some of his trademark shots,
which suggested that he had managed to pull himself out of his rough patch.
“We've seen it's a hard wicket to start on, so I don’t think he was scratchy. It's bloody hard coming into facing a spitting ball like that,” Cowan said.
“When we see Ponting's trademark down-the-ground drives, which we saw a few of today, it means his balance is spot on,” he added. “When he's struggled in the last couple of years that's probably been the issue. If he's playing those shots it means he's in
good touch.”
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