31 December,2009 07:23 AM IST | | Khalid A-H Ansari
Ponting attributes being Test cricket's most successful skipper to having great teammates
In his moment of glory yesterday in becoming the most successful Test captain in history, Ricky Ponting brushed aside his own achievement and, instead, spoke glowingly of his teammates.
Yesterday's win -- his 93rd win from 140 Tests -- also made Ponting the player to win most Tests in the history of the game, ahead of compatriot Shane Warne who won 92 in his distinguished career.
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Ricky Ponting (second from left) is congratulated by teammates after he yesterday became the most successful captain ever. pic/getty images |
Saying he was "lucky to have played in some great teams", Ponting added: "Hopefully there's a lot more wins round the corner.
"At the moment it is my job to keep the group together and keep challenging them and helping them the younger guys out and keep winning as many games of cricket as we can," Ponting said.
"There is a great feeling around the team and wins like that make the feeling around the place a whole lot better."
This was Ponting's 42nd Test win in 65 matches as captain, ahead of Steve Waugh (41 from 59), West Indian Clive Lloyd (36 from 74), South African Graeme Smith (33 from 71) and fellow Australian Allan Border (32 wins from 93 Tests).
At number six is New Zealander Stephen Fleming (28 wins from 80 Tests), followed by West Indian Viv Richards (27 from 50), South Africa's Hansie Cronje (27 from 53), Australian Mark Taylor (26 from 50), England's Michael Vaughan (26 from 51) and Australia's Greg Chappell (21 from 48).
When play commenced yesterday at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), with Pakistan needing 252 to win with seven wickets in hand and battle-hardened Mohammad Yousuf and young batting sensation Umar Akmal at the crease, experts gave the visitors a decent chance of drawing (or tying), if not winning the Test.
But the archetypal Pakistani mindset equips them with an aggressive flair better suited to going for a win in such situations rather than grinding out an attritional draw, an attribute better suited to the Indian psyche.
Mitchell Johnson struck early to send back Umar Akmal and Nathan Hauritz, another protu00e9gu00e9 of Ponting, dismissed Kamran Akmal, Mohammed Aamer and Saeed Ajmal to complete a tally of five for 101 in 24 overs to vindicate his captain's faith in him after critics had written off the spin bowler following his team's Ashes humiliation in England earlier this year.
Under-rated Hauritz
Ponting believes Hauritz's determination is grossly under-rated.
"He's fiercely competitive, once he's got the ball in his hand he is very competitive and he knows what he wants to do."
The affable off-spinner was the beneficiary of a master class from the great Shane Warne before start of play yesterday, following which he ripped the Pakistani batting apart, adding four wickets to his dismissal of Faisal Iqbal the previous day.
"Being able to talk to Warnie has been very helpful," Hauritz said later. He revealed that two 'magical' words u2014 "be patient" -- had helped him win the match.
The captain went on to add: "He's probably not as outward as Warnie (Shane Warne) with his emotions u2014 now that he's got five-for under his belt maybe he will be, who knows?
For Pakistan, who were beaten but not disgraced, the good news is that Danish Kaneria and Umer Gul, who both missed the first Test, are fit.
But former captain Younis Khan, for whom the Pakistanis have sent have sent an SOS to shore up the fragile batting, is unlikely to make it to Sydney for the second Test, starting on Sunday, because of administrative delays and red tape in his Board's administration.
