Former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting has analyzed Team India’s bowling performance in the ongoing ICC World Test Championship final against Australia at the Oval, London.
After the conclusion of the first two days, India have found themselves on the backfoot after failing to do well with both bat and ball. Rohit Sharma’s decision to bowl first after winning the toss eventually backfired as Australia piled up a mammoth total of 469 runs.
India started well with the ball and had Australia reeling at 76 for 3. But from thereon, it was a one-way traffic on day one as Travis Head and Steve Smith put their team in a solid position. Both the batsmen went on to score fine centuries and were dismissed on day 2 after adding 285 runs for the second wicket. Head scored 163 while Smith scored 121.
Ricky Ponting on India’s bowling:
Analyzing India’s performance with the ball, Ricky Ponting has opined that India bowlers bowled too short. The Australia great said that India bowlers could have bowled a tad fuller to make better use of the conditions as he stated that the bowlers have let themselves down.
“I think where they let themselves down was in the first hour yesterday and bowling too short,” Ponting was quoted as saying to the ICC.
“With the wicket conditions, the overhead conditions they had and the brand new Dukes ball, they had to bowl fuller and get the ball driven back down the ground. They needed to have Australia four or five down at lunch and they only had them two down, which was a pretty good result (for Australia),” he added.
India have made a poor start with the bat too and are in danger of conceding a huge first innings lead. In reply to Australia’s big first-innings lead, India finished day 2 on 151 for 5, still trailing by 318 runs.