Ponting most likely to be fit for Boxing Test Day after encouraging batting session
Australian captain Ricky Ponting looked almost certain to lead his team in the Boxing Day Test against England as he got back in the nets practice at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Friday morning.
Ponting faced a bowling machine and a group of net bowlers as he played through the deliveries without any discomfort. Ponting also faced some throw-downs as he seemed to be in a comfortable position despite breaking his left hand’s little finger.
The 36-year-old veteran captain is nursing a broken finger as he attempted to take a catch from second slip and throw towards wicketkeeper Brad Haddin in a bid to dismiss Jonathan Trott at Western Australian Cricket Association (WACA) ground at Perth during
the Third Test match. Ponting struggled with pain and missed the fourth and final day of the Test match as his men romped to a 267-run victory to level the series 1-1 in a bid to regain the coveted urn.
Ponting had little trouble against the bowling machine as he hit on target and pulled through the exhaustive session with the machine. He then faced some throw-downs after again getting back to the nets as he faced some deliveries from the young net bowlers
and drove through without any hindrance.
Of course, the real play scheduled on the Boxing Day at MCG will be a different challenge from the net session as Ponting will be facing the fast deliveries of England’s Chris Tremlett and James Anderson.
Vice-captain Michael Clarke was present at the nets session and told the media that he was confident of Ponting leading the side but the team will be waiting until Saturday to see how the injury progresses.
Clarke, who stood in as the captain in the absence of Ponting on the fourth day at Perth said that he spoke to the injured captain briefly as he was batting beside him and he said that “he felt pretty good after facing some ball.”
“We are all very hopeful and pretty confident. Unless they cut his finger off, it is going to be really hard to leave Punter (Ponting) out,” http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Clarke-c51120 admitted.
Clarke also conceded that Ponting will definitely not be fielding in the slips but most probably will be fielding “mid-off or mid-on.” He also said that this position will help the bowlers as Ponting will be close to them and will be able to talk to them
as well.
Ponting’s stand by batsman, 24-year-old http://www.senore.com/Cricket/New-South-Wales-c823 (NSW) batsman has been on the verge of making his debut for the national
side since mid 2010 but has been unable to find his place in the final squad.
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