Ponting shows no mercy at Gabbatoir

Windies skipper Chris Gayle bemoaned a three-day Gabba “disaster” after Ricky Ponting’s Australians displayed a new ruthless streak on Saturday.

Only tiny teenager Adrian Barath, still in braces, stood up to the Aussies as Ponting successfully engineered a quick kill for an innings and 65-run first Test victory.

Looking to play in a more aggressive fashion after their Ashes defeat, and send a message to his players and the rest of the world, Ponting surprised by showing no mercy and enforcing a rare follow-on after lunch.

Needing 252 runs to make Australia bat again, the Windies folded for 187 in their second innings with Barath, 19, making an historic 104 on debut.

All in all the embattled tourists lost 15 wickets for 283 runs on day three as they sunk to their ninth straight loss on Australian soil dating back to 2001.

With key batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan (back) and spearhead Jerome Taylor (hip) in doubt for the second Test starting in Adelaide on Friday, the Windies are facing a three-Test series whitewash.

“It is must-turnaround situation that we are in at this point in time,” Gayle said.

“Hopefully we can actually rebound from this disaster, this loss in three days, so we have to be positive going into the second Test match.

“I’m very disappointed, the batting in both innings didn’t come off, apart from Adrian Barath … he showed a lot of character.”

Ponting was well pleased with all aspects of the game as Ben Hilfenhaus, boasting match figures of 5-80, narrowly beat Simon Katich (92) and Nathan Hauritz (50no and 5-57) to man-of-the-match honours.

Former brickies labourer Hilfenhaus reduced the Windies top-order to a rubble in just six overs in the second-innings, taking the prize scalps of Chris Gayle and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, as well as first-innings anchorman Travis Dowlin.

Ponting credited the first-day batting performance (5-322) for setting up the victory but was rapt by the way his players responded to his attacking declaration at 8-480 and the decision to make the Windies (228) bat again.

It was only the third time in 13 opportunities in his five-year reign Ponting has enforced the follow-on.

“I spoke to the guys before the game about how I want to play from here on and how I expect the team to play and today was a big part of that,” he said.

“I was trying to be as positive as we can and for us to test ourselves more than anything.

“It would have been an easy option to go out there and bat today and drag the game out a little bit longer and let the bowlers put their feet up.

“I think the guys have got a lot out of the game, playing that sort of cricket.”

Although the Windies were far more competitive when Australia visited the Caribbean 18 months ago, Ponting reserved judgement on their parlous state due to his team’s Gabba brilliance.

Australia are now unbeaten in Brisbane for 21 years, winning 16 — including the last six –and drawing five.

“We played well and we played in conditions that more suit our style of play, we probably will be able to make more of an informed assessment of them (Windies) after the Adelaide game where they will probably have conditions they are more used to playing.

“There is no team that comes here and performs well, simple as that, it’s 21 years since we’ve lost a game here.”

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