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Ponting fails to down periscope in Test

26th April, 2012
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If the third Test against the West Indies in Dominica proves to be Ricky Ponting’s last for Australia, he found an odd way to exit international cricket.

Ponting’s 57 in difficult conditions makes it unlikely he’ll miss out when Australia next play a Test against South Africa in Brisbane in November but his innings will be remembered more for how he got out than the 129 deliveries beforehand.

On a difficult and deteriorating Windsor Park pitch, Ponting ducked as Windies nemesis Kemar Roach dug in a short ball.

Unfortunately for the 37-year-old his bat was raised dead straight above his back and as the ball failed to climb off the ground it caught the edge between his shoulders and flew into the hands of Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

It was possibly the oddest dismissal in Ponting’s 165-Test career and continued a run of bad luck with his dismissals throughout Australia’s three match campaign in the Caribbean.

Already Ponting has been run-out and bowled off a shooter in the first Test and then stung by the only ball Roach was able to make rear up in the first innings on a slow Trinidad wicket in the second Test.

Teammate Ed Cowan could only shake his head at Ponting’s luck.

“I guess if you play cricket long enough you are going to be dismissed every which way, after 165 Test matches I guess he was due for a periscope,” Cowan said.

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“I feel sorry for the bloke because he has been batting beautifully and again it will give ammunition to some tabloid journalists back home.

“But you guys have seen how well he is playing in tough conditions.

“What a bizarre dismissal, but I guess you can only shrug your shoulders and say that’s the game.”

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