Seeing fresh faces sharpened me: Ponting

Seeing fresh faces sharpened me during the India series, says skipper Ponting

Seeing fresh faces sharpened me: Ponting

In a reference to the spate of injuries that plagued the team before and during the series, Ponting was often left in a position where he barely managed to field 11 fit men for a match.

With as many as 20 playersu00a0 summoned to the team as it traversed the length and breadth of the vast sub-continent,u00a0 "at times the skipper was almost forced to learn the players' names as they walked on to the field" in the words of The Australian newspaper.

Leadingu00a0the way: Australia skipper Ricky Ponting

Ponting said: "It was getting harder and harder once we got behind.

"They (India) are the sort of team that once they get on they are particularly hard to stop, particularly at home.u00a0

"And when they get a crowd behind them and a few of their players get momentum and confidence, they can be exceptional.

"We spoke about that at the start of the series. We didn't want to give them anything because if you give these guys an inch, they'll take a mile.

"Indian teams are very very good when they get their nose in front, so to fight back and win the last three in a row was a great effort, particularly with the guys missing out and having guys going into games with niggles because we were so short.

"That's why I have rated the series win up there with the World Cups and Champions Trophy and that sort of stuff. Remember, quite a lot of the guys were playing in the sub-continent for the first time."

Coach Tim Nielsen lavished praise on the captain.

"We have not only had a big turnover but an influx of new talent. It is definitely part of the Ponting legacy.

Super effort
"One thing I don't think we should forget is how well he played in this period that we have had such success.
The team has relied on him. They stood up and won the Champions Trophy and in my mind he just keeps getting better every day."

The Australian captain told the Weekend Australian that the continual rotation of players brought on by injury kept him sharp and didn't allow him to be "numbed by the play-travel-train routine of the tour."
"Having the young guys around has definitely freshened me up, not only with my playing and having to lead by example, but tactically as well. I feel that's been sharp on the trip. There was more responsibility on a few of the senior guys and they lifted."

Ponting singled out vice-captain Mike Hussey, suggesting "Mr Cricket" has been living on nerves and exhaustion since the middle of the Champions Trophy but he too shouldered the extra load because "there was nobody else to do it.

"Our cricket of late has been very good considering the challenges.

"We are proud to be theNo 1 one-day international team at the moment. I know our Test ranking has slipped a bit. It won't be long before we get that back a bit.

"From 12 months ago when everybody thought there was a whole lot of doom and gloom on the horizon
for Australian cricket, well that has turned around very quickly."

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