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Ricky Ponting’s crucial knock of 134 in today’s second Test against India is a pressure-relieving score that should end calls for his omission.
Ponting has been under fire in recent months as the Australian cricket team is rejuvenated with a batch of new blood and young guns. After losing the captaincy to Michael Clarke, the calls have increased for Punter’s head.
But his cool and collected innings of 134 at the SCG showed how important he remains to this team. Form might be temporary, but class is permanent and Ponting has that in shades as a batsman as he claimed his 40th Test century.
In the first Test in Melbourne, Ponting picked up scores of 62 and 60. These were important runs. Even more important were his runs and partnership with new skipper Clarke in Sydney, as Australia moved from a terrible position to a potentially winning one on day two.
Ponting seems to be thinking about his batting more, applying more caution and discipline to his strokeplay. He hasn’t been flashy and or particularly dominant, perhaps like he was in the past, but he has dug in and got the job done.
He has clearly worked on his game and started to answer his critics in the best way possible. At the moment, Ponting leads all batsmen bar Clarke in this series in runs scored, with 256 from three occasions at the crease.
Ponting clearly has a role to play in helping Australia’s new brigade – Warner, Pattinson, Cummins and others – adjust to life in the baggy green.
He has invaluable experience to share, along with leaderships skills and a brilliant cricket brain. But best of all, he offers something no team can do without, runs.
Ponting should be in the side for the next six to nine months at the very least. At the moment, he has earned the right to call time on his own career himself.
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