Australia in commanding position Despite skipper Ponting being forced to retire hurt for the first time in his career
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Australia in commanding position Despite skipper Ponting being forced to retire hurt for the first time in his career
It was a bruising confrontation that would have delighted a bloodthirsty freestyle wrestling fan, a duel better suited to a boxing ring than a gentlemen's game played in whites.
It was a clash between one of the best batsmen the game has produced and a cocky young bowler as yet wet behind his ears.
In one corner, metaphorically speaking, was Ricky Ponting a fiercely proud product of the backstreets of Tasmania, in the other a 21-year old firebrand West Indian called Kemar Roach out to prove a point or two to his illustrious combatant.
Before yesterday's clash at the newly-laid fiery WACA ground in Perth Roach had paid rich tribute to the Australian captain's batting abilities while issuing a veiled you-better-watch-out.
On his part, Ponting had waxed eloquent about the young Barbadian's blinding pace even while pointing out that his batsmen had eventually come to terms with the tearaway speedster determined to hurl the leather spheroid at the batsman's head and torso at speeds breaking the sound barrier.
The atmosphere was electric as Ponting, known never to be intimidated by any bowler but who had fallen prey to Roach twice in his previous three innings, took guard. He is said to have practised assiduously the previous day, ducking and weaving with the bowling machine at full throttle.
One could almost feel the fire in Roach's breath as he subjected Ponting, a past master at fighting fire with fire, to a 43-minute barrage of hostile bowling that left the batsman battered and bruised.
The battle (an Australian journalist described it as a Rocky in whites) between the two lit up an otherwise lacklustre day's cricket.
It must be said to Ponting's credit that although he ducked into a nasty 150 km/h lifter that hit him above the left elbow, causing him obvious pain, the batsman refused to flinch or rub the damaged area even as the team physiotherapist rushed on to the field on the first of four occasions to attend to the captain.
The next delivery from Roach careered into his midriff with Ponting struggling to hold the bat properly, often pulling his hand away after playing a stroke. With his score 23, Ponting decided he could not carry on and retired hurt for the first time in his 14-year international career. Precautionary scans in hospital revealed no bone damage.
Despite being in acute pain for all but three minutes of his 43-minute stay at the wicket, Ponting did not back away while facing 25 balls off which he hit one six and two fours.
Roach may have won his personal battle against Ponting but the Australians were gearing to win the war, having scored 339 for the loss of only three wickets at the close.
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