Former Australian captain, Ricky Ponting, recently shared his thoughts on the impending ICC World Cup 2023 match between India and England. The defending champions will have to bring their A-game if they hope to get Virat Kohli out in the match in Lucknow.
The Men in Blue are dominating the points standings after winning five straight games. At the other extreme, England’s World Cup campaign is in shambles and they are looking for some momentum. Both teams will be vying for a high-quality match, with players putting up their hands to perform for their side in a crucial encounter.
Speaking to ICC, in contrast, Ricky Ponting believes that Virat Kohli is setting the stage on fire and is a true match-winner. He is confident that the Indian batter will continue to score runs in the tournament.
Besides, Ponting appeared baffled by the way England has played in the tournament so far, calling them the worst team in the competition. He believes that if they don’t turn things around in their match against India, their chances of winning the ODI World Cup will be gone.
“I got asked one week ago, just give me one word to describe him and the first thing on my mind was the winner. He’s a winner.
“Every time he plays, it’s not about how many runs he gets, it’s about him being there, winning the game for his team. I’m sure he’ll continue to score runs in this World Cup and England will know that they’ll have to be at their absolute best to knock him over.”
“To be honest, if you looked down the list of all the teams in the World Cup, you could put up an argument that they have been the worst team in the tournament.
“I actually picked them as being a team that would make the final. They need to turn around pretty quickly or their World Cup is done,” Ricky Ponting said.
Despite having some of the most well-known players in white-ball cricket, they have lost four of their opening five games and are currently languishing at the bottom of the points table. England was the favourites going into the marquee event in India and they will look to turn things going into the remaining games of the ODI World Cup.
I Would Single Out Mark Wood Against All Of India’s Top Order – Ricky Ponting
Ricky Ponting feels that England’s bowlers need to find means to warn Indian skipper Rohit Sharma with the new ball, implying that the squad might also need to figure out a way to get Virat Kohli during the powerplay. He is certain that England’s speedster Mark Wood will cause damage to the opposition’s top order and feels that Wood is the key to the team’s success in the match.
“Someone’s gonna find a way to get Rohit Sharma. They need to find a way to get Kohli early and try to get some impact on with the newest ball. I would be tempted to give Wood a new ball and try and run fast and do some damage with the new ball.
“I think that’s probably their best chance in their game. I would single out Wood against all of India’s top order and he’s gonna be the man who will do damage,” Ricky Ponting added.
Bowling has been a major issue for the England cricket team in the ongoing ODI World Cup. The defending champions’ bowlers have struggled to take wickets at regular intervals during the games.
The Jos Buttler-led side will be looking to bring their best performance against the host nation, India, to add more points to their tally in this important event.
