Cricket Update: Ricky Ponting has learned the art of playing on spinning tracks of India.
Ricky Ponting is regarded as one of the greatest batsman in the cricketing history. Well, it has been a debate of greater interest that, who is Australia’s best batsman after Sir Donald Bradman. Is it the technician, Greg Chappell or the modern great, Ricky
Ponting? Whatever the Australians think, he certainly is one of their greatest willower.
He was identified by his academy coach, Rod Marsh when he was a teenager. Rod Marsh acknowledged the Tasmanian as the best teenage batsman he ever saw. He was inducted in Shield cricket at 17 for http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Tasmania-c854, and made his debut for Baggy green at an age of
20 in a Test match against the touring Sri Lankans at Perth. On his debut, he was controversially given out leg before wicket to http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Chaminda-Vaas-c1223 on 96. Although he missed out on a century, but it was evident of what is about to come from the Tasmanian devil.
Mainly, Ponting strikes the ball on back-foot as he has developed his technique in bouncy tracks of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746. He can bludgeon the cherry to all parts of the corner. There is never a better puller than Ricky when he is in full flow. His drives through cover
are a treat to watch, and his back foot punch towards point boundary is his signature short. He is a nervous starter, as he plants his right foot across the off-stump, and categorically is a candidate for leg before the wicket, in start of his show. Once he
has overcome his nervousness, then bowlers of the world go into their shell as they don’t know where to bowl the maestro. He can be devastating as twisters of Florida
Currently, Ponting holds the record for most number of international runs and centuries for Australia, and is only 2nd beside Sachin Tendulkar. In Test matches and ODIs, Ponting has made over 25000 runs and 68 centuries. He has made runs in all
conditions and situations except India
Indian soil has been an Achilles heel in master batsman’s great career. He has his bad times against the spinners of India, on turning tracks with uneven pace and bounce. As he is mainly a back-foot player and he tries to play most of his deliveries from
the crease. To be successful against the spinners on a spin friendly track as one has to use his feet to cover negate turn, and to reach pitch of the ball.
In India, he has played 14 Test matches, gathering only 590runs at an average of 24 with a best of 123. Previously, before 2008 Test series in India, Ponting numbers were more than degrading, considering his class as a batsman.
In 8 matches he did play against Indian in subcontinent, he scored just 172 runs at a poor average of 12 with a best of 60. As his career progressed, he improved his technique against the spinner, learning by playing forward and getting to pitch of the ball.
He started to use his feet to be successful against quality spinners. It has helped him to improve his game in-front of world class spinners. His success against spinners is evident from the fact that he has fared well in his last 2 Test series in India.
In his last 6 Test matches, Ponting has proved a point to his critics by scoring decent amount of runs in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750. His hard work on his technique of coming forward has helped him to gain a little success on turning tracks of India. As a result, his struggle
has come to an end.
Moreover, in 6 matches on India soil, the Tasmanian has fared well, scoring 418 runs at an average of almost 42 with a best of 123. His tally of runs includes 3 half centuries and a century.
Furthermore, by having an eye on his above statistics we will come to know, whether he has finally buried the voodoo of batting in India or not.
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