Despite Ponting's increasing problems with injuries to players and in some cases, their replacements, the skipper is working hard and will come at the Indians like a deadly...
Despite Ponting's increasing problems with injuries to players and in some cases, their replacements, the skipper is working hard and will come at the Indians like a deadly...
|
|
Ricky Ponting enduring a tough training session in Hyderabad yesterday. Pic/Atul Kamble |
Australia skipper Ricky Ponting seems to have taken it upon himself to see his injury-ridden team successfully through in this seven-match ODI series against India.
Yesterday, on the eve of the fifth ODI at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, the 34-year-old captain, who is Australia's most experienced one-day player here (328 ODIs and 12,241 runs) not only came for an "optional" practice session but also made his presence felt with a strenuous work out with the bat.
Despite only seven members of the Australian side opting to practice, with the big names like Michael Hussey, Shane Watson, Mitchell Johnson, etc preferring to stay away, Ponting sweated it out for a good hour or so in the nets.
u00a0
He stood up to some solid pace bowling and throw downs for 20 minutes before moving over to the adjoining wicket where the spinners were plying their trade. The highlight of the session however had to be the manner in which he dealt with the spinners. He alternated between stepping out and remaining in his crease, albeit on a bent knee, as he hammered the turners over the top.
The already bruised Australian team's injury list swelled yesterday when all-rounder Moises Henriques, who was called in as replacement for injured all-rounder James Hopes, became the latest Australian to return home midway through the India tour. The beleaguered visitors inducted Victorian all-rounder Andrew McDonald and New South Wales fast bowler Burt Cockley to prop up the depleted side. Cricket Australia said in a press release that Henriques would return home after suffering a hamstring injury during the fourth ODI in Mohali. In such a situation, the CA National Selection Panel (NSP) announced that McDonald and Cockley would join the squad for the sixth ODI in Guwahati as replacements for Henriques and Peter Siddle, who returned home with stiffness in his left side.
Australia coach Tim Nielson stressed Ponting was eager to lead by example here and give the injury-laden visitors some respite.
"Ricky is working very hard and putting in the extra effort to try and do well for the team here. He is a great player and that's the highlight of a great player he knows what is expected of him and tries his best to live up to it. And especially now, given this long injury list that we have, I think he is even more eager to do well. And of course, the fact that he's also been in great form right from the England ODIs, then through the Champions Trophy and now here, is good for us," Nielson said.
Ponting has scores of 74 (Baroda), 12 (Nagpur), 59 (Delhi) and 52 (Mohali) in the series so far.
And given it's locked up at 2-2 right now, coach Nielson said the captain wants to grab the early initiative and make it 1-0 in the remaining best-of-three affair.
