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For the second time in a year, Ricky Ponting’s career is under threat after failing in the second innings of the second Test match. Ponting has only scored 20 runs this series, with most of his dismissals being tentative and a consequence of lack of footwork.
After Quiney’s pair, it looks almost certain that Ponting will be picked for the third and final Test which many are saying should be his last if he doesn’t score runs.
However the first Test match against Sri Lanka, which starts December 14th, will be held at Bellerive and if Ponting is picked for that match, it will mean he becomes Australia’s most-capped Test player in history.
It would be unreasonable not to give Phil Hughes or Usman Khawaja an early shot against a Sri Lankan attack that is nowhere near as strong and experienced as South Africa’s. But it would be fitting and understandable to give Ponting not only a farewell at his home state but a chance to score runs and get back into form.
Ponting came into this series in impeccable form, having scored 355 runs at 118 in the Sheffield Shield. It has only been two matches, but at the moment his feet are not moving and his judgement is contributing to his downfall.
Although the WACA is loved by fast bowlers, it is also a great place for batsman as the ball comes onto the bat harder, which can result in fast scoring. It is also where Ricky Ponting has scored more runs than any other player in world cricket.
If Adelaide was the perfect chance for Ponting to get runs, the WACA is just as good. All he has to do is get through the first 5-10 overs of his innings, or get through the new ball to give his feet a chance to start moving.
It would be the saddest end to what has been a stellar career from Australia’s most prolific batsman if he were to be dropped after Perth, or even before.
But it has to end sometime, and for Ponting a home farewell, as well as becoming Australia’s most capped Test player, would be a fitting reward for a modern champion.
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