The former captain of the Australian team, Ricky Ponting, has been chosen as the potential highest wicket-taker of the upcoming five-match Test series between India and Australia of the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25. Both sides have quality in the pace and spin attack, and most of them are going to be contenders for the side.
Cummins, the red-ball captain of the defending champions of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2021-23, has displayed his top clash bowling along with Mitchell Starc. Their veteran off-spinner Nathan Lyon has also been successful for the side against the Blue Brigade. But Ricky Ponting has made a cracking statement for their home Test summer.
The all-time leading run-getter for Australia in Tests and ODIs, Ponting, feels that both Cummins and Starc won’t be playing all five games of the series, and that offers Josh Hazlewood a high chance of topping the wicket-takers list.
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The New South Wales pacer has 273 wickets in 70 games of the longest format at an average of below 25 and a strike rate of 53.40 with the help of 12 five-wicket hauls at a best bowling figure of 6/67 in an inning.
Ricky Ponting picks Josh Hazlewood as the highest wicket-taker for BGT 2024-25
When it comes to his performances against the Indian team, the lanky fast bowler has bagged 51 wickets in 15 games at an average of under 27 and a strike rate of 63.67, shouldering on four five-wicket hauls at a best bowling figure of 6/67. At home, his average drops down to 23.06 for 162 scalps in 39 Tests.
In the ongoing year, Hazlewood has picked up 29 wickets in five Tests at an average of under 14 and a strike rate of 30.62 with the help of two five-wicket hauls at a best figure of 5/31.
The World Cup-winning captain feels that Josh is perhaps in the best rhythm and could come as the leading wicket-taker of the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.
“I think Hazlewood, out of the Australian quicks, is right at the moment and is probably at the peak of his powers more than the other guys. So I’ll go with him for the leading wicket-taker.” Ricky Ponting predicted on the latest episode of the ICC Review.
In the World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, the pacer has collected 109 wickets in 50 innings at an average of under 22 and a strike rate of 45.88 with the help of six five-wicket hauls. In the current cycle of 2023-25, he is currently the second-highest wicket-taker with 51 scalps in 21 innings at an average of 20.45.
Among the batters, Ricky Ponting keeps one of Rishabh Pant and Steve Smith to record most runs in the five-match Test series. The move to drop down Smith at number four, according to the veteran, will increase his chances.
“I think Smith, the fact that he’s moved back down from opener to No. 4 probably makes it feel like he’s got more of a point to prove, that maybe he shouldn’t have gone up to open in the first place, and that No. 4 is his spot and where he should have probably been the whole time and where he probably finished his career now.” The former captain expressed.
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“And with Rishabh back in the side and probably coming into bat in the middle order when the ball’s probably lost a bit of its shine and a bit of its hardness and the form that he’s in, I’ll go for him as one of the leading run scorers as well.” Ricky Ponting concluded.
The opening Test of the BGT 2024-25 will begin on November 22 at the Optus Stadium in Perth.