Ricky Ponting’s struggling form becoming evident on Indian pitches
According to the International Cricket Council, India is ranked as the number one test team at the moment. In order to change the rankings, the Australians, in the ongoing Border and Gavaskar Trophy, are trying their best to regain their lost test cricket
glory. Moreover, the series is also important with Aussie test skipper Ricky Ponting trying to win his first series on Indian soil. However, that dream is finally over with a defeat at Mohali in the two match series. As a result, the veteran Aussie skipper
is trying his best to pull off a 1-1 draw to gather lost pride.
The ongoing series is important to raise the morale of the Aussies before the English encounter in the Ashes later this year. However, if the Aussies receive yet another test series defeat at the hands of the Indians, their test rankings will drop to the
number fifth position in ICC Test rankings.
The Australians have an impressive test record against the Indians down under where they have won 22 and lost 5 from the last 36 test matches. However, the Indians have surely dominated test cricket on Indian soil with 14-12 in favour of India in test matches
on Indian venues.
On the contrary, Ricky Ponting, both as a captain and batsman has had a horrific test record against the Indians on their home grounds. The veteran Aussie skipper has an overall batting average of 54.66 in 146 test matches played by him, but has a poor batting
average of 20.85 in the 12 test matches played in India.
In the 2000-01 tour of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750, the Aussie skipper had a batting average as good as fellow teammate and fast bowler Glen McGrath with an embarrassing 3.40 in three test matches. Due to an injury, the Aussie skipper wasn’t able to play the 2004-05 test match
series. He was only able to appear in one test match in which he scored an unimpressive 23 runs in the two innings.
However, the Aussies are yet to win a test match in India under the captaincy of Ricky Ponting, he has played 5 tests as captain in which he has lost three and drawn two tests. Not to forget, the Australian test series win in 2004-05 in India that came under
the captaincy of wicket-keeper http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Adam-Gilchrist-c918 as Ponting was sidelined due to an injury.
One might presume that the Indian bowling attack has a liking for him. However, the reality is that Ponting has an outstanding average of 79.35 against the Indian test team from the 11 test matches played against India in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746. Not to forget that the
Aussie skipper started off with a blazing century against the Indians in the 2008-09 tour of India in Bangalore but failed to maintain a consistent batting form as he finished the 4 test match series with an average of 38.00.
Nevertheless, the Aussie skipper holds the record of most test wins as skipper in test cricket. From the 71 test matches played by Ricky Ponting as captain, he has won 47 matches, maintaining a success rate of 66%. Ponting as captain is second only to former
Aussie skipper Steve Waugh who has a slightly better win rate of 72 percent with 41 test match wins from 57 tests as captain.
There are more statistics which support Ponting. The Aussie skipper at present is the third highest run-getter as captain, with an impressive collection of 6205 runs at an average of 53.49 in 71 test matches. The ongoing series against India and later in
the Ashes back home is an opportunity for Ponting to succeed Australia’s Allan Border and South African skipper Graeme Smith batting record as captain. Even though Ponting has a better test average as captain from the two, but he is still short by almost 400
runs.
The Aussie skipper is also in the race for the highest number of centuries as test captain, alongside South African test skipper Graeme Smith’s 19 centuries. Ponting will soon become the first test captain to make 20 centuries in test cricket. Not to forget
that the Aussie skipper stands third in line for the highest number of catches taken in test cricket, with a collection of 172 catches in 146 test matches. The veteran needs 10 more catches overtake fellow team mate Mark Waugh’s Aussie national record of 181
catches in 128 tests, and 24 more catches to break Indian veteran batsman http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Rahul-c83321 Dravid’s 196 catches from 142 test matches.
Cricket experts and senior players always advocate the fact that it takes a great player just one good innings to comeback into form. Ricky Ponting is both a world class batsmen and a leader. It is only time which would be a better judge of his greatness,
as the veteran Aussie skipper and batsman has still one test and the Ashes series to prove his test credentials, both as a test captain and as a batsman.
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