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.
Broesy
Guest
Go Ricky! Remind India just how much they hate bowling to you! And remind the people just who you are exactly
Broesy
Guest
I agree with you about how bad it looked then, but with the way things are going now, those stats mean nothing compared to what extent his powers are at now.
Broesy
Guest
I see your point Disco. But what they're getting at is the fact that as the most senior player in the team, which means he is expected to show the young kids coming into the side what they're doing wrong and how to fix it. But I fail to see your point about him being dropped. While he is still scoring runs ahead of players like Khawaja and that, he deserves his spot. I personally would rather keep him in the side while he is still feared rather than take him out at the risk of weakening the side kids.
Broesy
Guest
I see your point Disco. But what they're getting at is the fact that as the most senior player in the team, which means he is expected to show the young kids coming into the side what they're doing wrong and how to fix it. But I fail to see your point about him being dropped. While he is still scoring runs ahead of players like Khawaja and that, he deserves his spot. I personally would rather keep him in the side while he is still feared rather than take him out at the risk of weakening the side kids.
Cricket Burble
Guest
Fair point re the first class average Red Kev. Taking out Tests and Australia A games, I make it that Khawaja's average in Sheffield Shield and English County Cricket Division 2 is a touch under Ponting's Test average. Sheffield Shield alone, superior.
Red Kev
Guest
Your comparison was simply misleading - you have to compare apples with apples. 6 tests and 11 innings each is as close as you're ever going to get. Also (just FYI) Khawaja's average in "domestic first class cricket" (i.e. Sheffield Shield as opposed to career first class which will include test matches and is the number you'll see on cricinfo) exceeds Ponting's test match average.
Cricket Burble
Guest
I don't think the stat was faulty - it's fact. It just doesn't help your argument and you've quoted some that do. Khawaja would have had to have averaged a touch under 70 from 3 innings v India to match Ponting's average since Khawaja's debut. Do you really think that would have happened? I've nothing against Khawaja who may well be a fantastic Test player eventually (or the likes of Marsh, Hughes or Cowan)...nor do I particularly favour Ponting. I just think for Test cricket to be strong we need countries to pick their best sides. Ponting is a proven class act averaging far more in Test cricket than Khawaja does a level down in domestic first class cricket. Even Khawaja himself would agree that he hasn't exactly grabbed his opportunity with both hands.
Disco
Roar Guru
Nice analogy!
Disco
Roar Guru
We'll never know what Khawaja has to offer if he's not backed by the selectors. Ponting's flaws and the selectors' myopia haven't magically disappeared because of a couple of scores against a ragged Indian attack.
Red Kev
Guest
Not enough said at all - you are including the India tests in those stats. BEFORE KHAWAJA WAS DROPPED both Ponting and Khawaja had played 6 test matches and 11 innings in 2011 (i.e. since Khawaja debuted). Khawaja averaged 29.22 with one dismissal in single figures and one half century. Ponting averaged 26.64 with 5 dismissals in single figures (including 2 ducks) and two half centuries. Citing faulty statistics for a decision is pathetic spin. It is nice and warm and fuzzy that Ponting has made runs against a flaccid Indian attack, but that doesn't change the fact that his retention was a bad call (think of it like trying to shoot yourself but missing and accidentally killing the axe-murderer behind you - dumb luck and a nice outcome but still monumentally stupid).
Cricket Burble
Guest
If players aren't performing well it doesn't necessarily mean that they aren't the best the country has to offer. Since Khawaja made his debut he's averaged 29...Ponting has averaged 39. Enough said. Ponting's continued selection is down to the brains of the selectors, ignoring the public clamour for change for changes sake.
Patrick Angel
Roar Guru
Hussey looked better against a softened attack that Pup and Punter softened to the point of tears with backs against the wall, quality batting. Huss did really well, but came in in a strong position. Those two were looking down the barrel of a less than 100 innings total when they began their knocks.
jameswm
Guest
I'll tell you this - I thought Hssey clearly outbatted Ponting. However right now PUnter is safe - his performances in his last few tests will keep him safe for a while. He's in the top 6 batsmen in the country, so he plays. The young top 3 aren't doing the job anyway, and Khawaja only sort of did.
Swampy
Guest
The argument is mute. The team should be picked on form. Right now Ponting and Hussey and Clarke are our form batsmen. They cannot be dropped if we want to win. Similarly Hilfenhaus, Siddle and Pattinson cannot be dropped as they are in form and no one would be sane enough to suggest so. When things change (in all probability things will) the argument can begin again. In saying that, I disagree with the article in that no one has the right to call time on their career unless they do it before the selectors decide to do so. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
Red Kev
Guest
If you're not young enough to avoid this sort of criticism; i.e. if you don't have enough years left in your career to repay selectors' faith in you (Marsh and Cowan can both be shown patience and give back 5 years, Ponting can't) then surely it is time to retire.
aussie1st
Roar Pro
It is a tricky situation, I do hope he stays in form as we our schedule is not friendly to be trailing new players. After this series we have WI away then SL at home. They are the two series where we could look at trying things out, after that we have India away and then the back to back Ashes.
jamesb
Guest
thats a great point Walt.
Disco
Roar Guru
Which is why this Ponting-as-selfless-team man line is utter nonsense.
Disco
Roar Guru
Precisely. The selectors are indulging in Ponting's vanity project.
Disco
Roar Guru
And then Khawaja - unnecessarily green - comes in against a stronger opponent and struggles. That's OK is it, so long as the great one achieves the final fling that he 'deserves'? Australia has lost plenty of Test matches carrying Punter for the past two years, and his continued selection has been the result of the selectors not having any brains or balls, rather than picking the side best equipped to win a Test match. Australia has fielded a deliberately weaker side to include to Johnson, to Ponting, to include Haddin. No-one else gets a chance of incumbents are stubbornly persevered with regardless of form.