Ponting backs bowlers to quell Gayle

Ricky Ponting rates Australia’s squad of fast bowlers the best in the world and is confident they can pass their next big test – curbing West Indies skipper Chris Gayle.

Gayle looms as the key figure in the five-match one-day series, which starts at the MCG on Sunday, given when he fires with the bat his side appears much better than the eighth-ranked side in the world.

The hard-hitting opener was the man of the series in the three Tests before Christmas despite Australia’s 2-0 win and he warmed up with this series with 146 from 89 balls against the Prime Minister’s XI on Thursday.

Ponting said he had been impressed with the depth in pacemen Australia had developed of late and was hopeful they had learned what to do against Gayle from watching the Tests.

“We’ve got a pretty good idea on what we need to do,” the Australian captain said on Saturday.

“We know the lines and lengths and areas that we want to bowl to him, so we’ll be trying to put him under as much pressure as we can early on and hopefully take our chances if they come.

“Once he gets off to a good start and starts hitting the ball cleanly he’s pretty hard to stop, so we have to have a number of different plans to fall back on if the first one doesn’t work.”

Even with Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus injured, Australia have plenty of pace options at the start of the series, as Doug Bollinger is back in the squad and vying to play against Ryan Harris and Clint McKay, who both did well in the 5-0 series win over Pakistan.

Ponting said the selection headache proved Australia’s fast-bowling stocks were “outstanding”.

“It would have to be the best group of fast bowlers anywhere in the world right at the moment,” he said.

“We were most stretched in India in the one-day series we had over there a few months ago and we had five or six of our guys injured and back in Australia.

“But most of those guys have come back now and come back pretty well, so the depth is terrific.”

Australia have won their past five one-day series and won 19 of their past 23 games over the past five months, with just three losses and a no-result, but Ponting believed the side could still improve.

“We can’t afford just to be happy with what we’ve done, we have to keep moving forward and keep trying to improve, and I know the hunger around the group is certainly there to do that,” he said.

Fine conditions are forecast for the match, which is scheduled to start at 2.25pm (AEDT).

Australia (from): Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke, Doug Bollinger, Brad Haddin, Ryan Harris, Nathan Hauritz, James Hopes, Mike Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Clint McKay, Shaun Marsh, Shane Watson, Cameron White.

West Indies (from): Chris Gayle (capt), Narsingh Deonarine, Travis Dowlin, Wavell Hinds, Nikita Miller, Runako Morton, Brendan Nash, Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Darren Sammy, Lendl Simmons, Dwayne Smith, Gavin Tonge.

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