Ricky Ponting’s Lord’s run drought continues
Ricky Ponting’s chances of adding his name to the honours board at Lord’s took another hit yesterday, as the Australia captain was dismissed for a duck in his side’s second innings of the Test against Pakistan.
While all-rounder Shane Watson added his name to the new honours board for “neutral” Tests played at the home of cricket as he put Pakistan to the sword with an unexpected, but welcome, five-wicket haul on day two, Ponting’s poor Test record at the ground continued.
In four Tests, and eight innings at Lord’s, the 35-year-old batsman has now only managed to amass a paltry average of 17, with a high score of 42 made as Australia romped to a 239-run victory over England in the first Test of the 2005 Ashes (the home side, of course, turned the tables on the visitors in subsequent matches that year to get their hands on the famous urn for the first time since 1986/87).
To put Ponting’s performances at Lord’s in context, over a distinguished 145-match career so far, Punter has batted with a Test average of around 55, made 39 Test tons and collected more runs than any other batsman who has worn the baggy green.
The “neutral” Test against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 skipper a perhaps unexpected chance, given he’d otherwise have to wait until Australia next played England in Britain for the Ashes in 2013, to fill that hole in his CV, but a score of 26 in the first innings and a duck as Ponting failed to play a shot and was trapped lbw by Mohammad Asif in the second innings (a decision the umpire Decision Review System, had it been available in this match, might have overruled) ensured that a big score would continue to elude the right-hander at Lord’s.
Add three years to Ponting’s age by the time 2013 rolls around, and one has to wonder if he may now have missed his chance to join current teammates http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Clarke-c51120 (who made 136 at the ground during the 2009 Ashes series) among those whose feats at Lord’s have been recognised on the honours boards at this most prestigious of cricketing venues.
It may just be one individual honour that escapes Ponting in what has otherwise been a decorated international cricketing career.
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