It’s time to go for the jugular in Hobart, Punter!

 

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Australia’s captain Ricky Ponting gestures - AP Photo/Gautam Singh

Australia’s captain Ricky Ponting gestures - AP Photo/Gautam Singh

Despite Australia’s surprise win in Sydney last week, Ricky Ponting must be feeling nervous for the first time since his Test debut in December 1995.

After being hit by West Indies fast bowler Kemar Roach on the arm last month, Ponting has scored only 82 runs in his last five Test innings (2 vs the West Indies in Perth, 57 and 12 on the MCG, a first ball duck and 11 on the SCG – all against Pakistan) at a un-Ponting like average of 16.40.

This happens to the best of batsmen.

Remember the epidemic of low scores the great Greg Chappell went through in 1981-82?

Coincidentally, this was also against Pakistan and the West Indies. In five successive Test innings within 23 days from 15 December 1981 to 6 January 1982, Chappell had made 0, 0, 6, 12 and 0.

In all, he had struggled to score 18 runs at 3.60. Two of his ducks were off the first ball he had received.

Cartoonists had a field day depicting Chappell’s plight and a poster during the Sydney Test in January 1982 read: “Everyone got turkey for Christmas, our Greg got three Test ducks.”

Just as Chappell G soon discovered his best form in New Zealand, with a masterly 176 in the Christchurch Test, ‘Punter’ Ponting will silence his critics in the Hobart Test starting today.

Although he won’t show it, Ricky must be feeling a little uneasy this morning in his home State. He has even considered moving down the order.

As he told The Australian correspondent: “If I don’t think I’m the right person to bat there then I won’t bat there. If I think there’s someone else better equipped than me to bat at No.3, then that time may come [to move down the order].”

But back to where Ponting’s mastery began: his Test debut against Sri Lanka in the Perth Test almost 15 years ago.

After Sri Lanka was dismissed for 251, Australian batsmen took complete command. Openers Michael Slater (219) and skipper Mark Taylor (96) added 228, and when rookie Ponting came in at no. 5, the score was 3-422.

What a looooong wait to face one’s first ball in Test cricket! He was then nine days short of his 21st birthday. He was fifth out at 617 when Taylor declared and Australia won by an innings in four days.

How many runs did Ponting get?

96, the same score as his captain. The young stylish stroke-player was cruelly denied a century on debut. Umpire Khizar Hayat ruled him out lbw when replays showed that the ball was going over the stumps.

Oh, for a referral system then.

But Ponting was philosophical about it. He said that he was lucky to survive an outside edge first ball and “besides. I’d gladly cop 96 each hit”

Not bad philosophy from a 20 year-old and a future captain. Now, it’s back to the future.

Go for the jugular in Hobart, Punter!

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