How good is Ponting's pull shot?

[aussie]

Like most of Ponting's shots, his pull isn't quite as good as it used to be.

In his 1995/96-2006/07 heyday, it was as good as a pull shot has pretty much ever been for almost any batsman.

Cant see whats changed TBH. Roach hit him on thee arm in the first innings @ 150 kmph & Ponting was still able to pull him virtually one handed for 6 an over later.

Odd thread this..

 

[Faisal1985]

Probably one of the best pullers i have seen in recent history.

 

[GIMH]

94 on Metacritic.

 

[G.I.Joe]

Ponting's pull shot is a thing of beauty, unless he happens to play it over the course of a 140 at Jo'berg.

 

[Richard]

Cant see whats changed TBH. Roach hit him on thee arm in the first innings @ 150 kmph & Ponting was still able to pull him virtually one handed for 6 an over later.

No-one's really saying he's a no-hoper and shouldn't even be playing it these days. The point is merely that Ponting hasn't for the last 2 years been quite as good as he used to be, on any shot, so consequently it will fail to come-off a little more regularly than used to be the case.

 

[silentstriker]

In his prime, about as good as you can have really. Not as good right now, as others have mentioned, but obviously still a very good puller.

 

[Jono]

Reckon he started to fall away with the effectiveness of his pull shot in the ODI tri-series against India and SL in 2007/08.

Went out to it twice in the finals.

Nonetheless its still a fantastic shot.

Bunny has given us an interesting argument though.

 

[aussie]

No-one's really saying he's a no-hoper and shouldn't even be playing it these days. The point is merely that Ponting hasn't for the last 2 years been quite as good as he used to be, on any shot, so consequently it will fail to come-off a little more regularly than used to be the case.

I have seen no sign of this..

 

[King Pietersen]

I have seen no sign of this..

Well you've clearly been watching the wrong cricketer. Think it's irrefutable that Ponting's started to decline in the last 2 years. Not saying he's no longer good enough, as I think he is. But he's averaging 41 in the last 2 years, and not averaged above 50 against any team he's played. An average of 41 is still decent, but it's got nothing on his career average of 55 and is a clear sign of decline.

 

[aussie]

Well you've clearly been watching the wrong cricketer. Think it's irrefutable that Ponting's started to decline in the last 2 years. Not saying he's no longer good enough, as I think he is. But he's averaging 41 in the last 2 years, and not averaged above 50 against any team he's played. An average of 41 is still decent, but it's got nothing on his career average of 55 and is a clear sign of decline.

Haa this is second time in a week i've heard someone on this site come up with this weird reasoning.

Ponting is not in any decline. Unless Ponting has not been showing anyone of these 3 factors:

- Being exposed technically (i.e getting out one way all the time)
- Footwork slowing down
- Execution of trademark shots being reduced (eg Ponting not playing his pull shot well)

If he was then one can say without a shadow of doubt the Ponting was passed his peak or whatever. A dimishing great batsman showing those faults was Viv Richards in the last 2-3 years (in the late 80s & early 90s) of his career - not Ponting currently at all.

Let me go through Ponting performances since series by series since his "heyday" ended in 2006/07 Ashes as some have claimed. This is just a dull stats argument

- SRI 07/08. Was hardly needed to bat in this series since AUS batsmen just totally domianted the SRI bowlers. Signs of decline = 0

- IND 07/08. Sharma troubled him with some good deliveries in this series in the first couple of test - that can happen even Pedro Collins had Tendulkar skating once - but that was it. He scored a very good hundred in the last test looking his usual great self. Signs of decline - 0

- WI 08. Starts the series with superb hundred in frist test. The WI bowlers NEVER troubled him in this series. Signs of decline = 0

- IND 08. Conquered his past demonds againts spin. If he was in decline he should have failed here. Signs of decline = 0

- NZ 08. NZ bowled well on a green gabba first test pitch, Ponting & everyone got out cheaply. His second test 79 in Adelaide he basically threw away a hundred when he was batting so beautifully:

O'Brien to Ponting, OUT, the bowling change works, O'Brien bangs it in short of a length outside off but the ball doesn't rise as much as Ponting would have expected it to, he shapes to play a booming pull past midwicket but the ball travels quickly off the bottom of the bat straight to Fulton at short midwicket, Ponting mumbles something to O'Brien while walking back

RT Ponting c Fulton b O'Brien 79 (151m 124b 13x4 0x6) SR: 63.70

Signs of decline = 0


SA 08/09 in AUS. Stood up to SA bowlers very well. His battting in melbourne test vs Steyn when he took 10 wickets was only the stuff great batsman can do. Very unlucky not have scored 2 hundreds in that test. Signs of decline = 0


SA 08/09 in SA. No issue here as well. Could have easily scored two hundreds in that series here as well. Signs of decline = 0

Ashes 09. Beautiful hundred in the first test, batted quite solidly for the rest of that series. His stupid run out for 66 in the Oval test probably swung the game ENGs way since he looked set for a hundred while he & Hussey where batting. Signs of decline = 0


WI 09. Like Sharma 07/08. Young Roach a new bowler has bowled well to hit..."new bowler syndrome" nothing more. Ponting has still looked in super touch. When Roach hit in the recent AUS first innings on his hand Ponting responsed by hit 4,6,4 with pull shots basically with one hand before he retired hurt not able to bare the pain. Signs of decline = 0

Plus dont lets ever go inot his recent ODI batting in ENG, The Champions trophy & in India. Since i dont know how anyone could have seen Ponting bat then i question whether he in decline or losing his touch..

Ponting is quite fine ATM..when he really begins to decline count on to be the first man to start crying out..Bullet!!

 

[silentstriker]

- IND 08. Conquered his past demonds againts spin. If he was in decline he should have failed here. Signs of decline = 0

What, really? Mind listing his scores in the series after that first Test?

 

[aussie]

What, really? Mind listing his scores in the series after that first Test?

I dont need to, we both know his scores after the first test. What did you need to score another 3 hundreds to be convinced he could play spin?

 

[silentstriker]

No, but doing it on a pitch that offered spin and not being a bunny for the next three Tests after one innings where he was let off early might help. If you read my comments at the time, I clearly remember saying he has cleared a big hurdle by scoring that century and all he needs is to score one in a spinning wicket to prove he can do it. That first match was a draw and a runway wicket.

 

[aussie]

No, but doing it on a pitch that offered spin and not being a bunny for the next three Tests after one innings where he was let off early might help.

- Firstly all 4 test match pitches played the same. All where roads (although Nagpur began to turn alot on the last day).

- Ponting did not look like a bunny in the next 3 test . He just good some very good balls especially from Sharma in the second test & a big turning off-break from Harbhajan in the 4th test. His batting againts the spin was very solid throughout the series.

Ponting could have easily got a second hundred in the 3rd test.

-Thirdly which let off are you speaking of?. That was a chanceless hundred..

 

[aussie]

No, but doing it on a pitch that offered spin and not being a bunny for the next three Tests after one innings where he was let off early might help. If you read my comments at the time, I clearly remember saying he has cleared a big hurdle by scoring that century and all he needs is to score one in a spinning wicket to prove he can do it. That first match was a draw and a runway wicket.

. Oh the double standard, i cannot believe this debate still exists.

After IND 2001 the talk in cricket world was that cannot play spin in India, he needs to score a hundred in India to be a complete batsman like other greats. He scores a hundred dominating his nemisis Harbhajan & now the new argument is that "he needs to score a hundred on a turning pitch" *sighs*....This debate will never die

The wickets in 98, 2001 that Ponting batted on (i will not consider Mumbai 04 the only test he played then since that was horrible pitch & all the batsmen on both sides struggled) where no way different from that of 2008 either. All (excpet Mumbai 01 which turns square from day 1 generally) where your typical IND roads which turned alot later in the match.

 

[pskov]

Aussie, that run down to me just proves that Ponting is in decline. You correctly point out that he has batted very decently over the last two years in just about every series and done everything that was asked of him. But the Ponting of five years ago would do more than just what was asked of him. Go back and count how many times you wrote how he was unlucky to not get a hundred, or that he threw away a hundred when he was batting well, or that it was a green pitch/spinning wicket so not scoring runs is explainable. Ponting at his very best didn't need these excuses.

 

[aussie]

Aussie, that run down to me just proves that Ponting is in decline. You correctly point out that he has batted very decently over the last two years in just about every series and done everything that was asked of him. But the Ponting of five years ago would do more than just what was asked of him. Go back and count how many times you wrote how he was unlucky to not get a hundred, or that he threw away a hundred when he was batting well, or that it was a green pitch/spinning wicket so not scoring runs is explainable. Ponting at his very best didn't need these excuses.

Decline is VERY strong word my friend. As i said before a great batsman in decline should show:

- Being exposed technically (i.e getting out one way all the time)
- Footwork slowing down
- Execution of trademark shots being reduced (eg Ponting not playing his pull shot well)

If he was then one can say without a shadow of doubt the Ponting was passed his peak or whatever. A dimishing great batsman showing those faults was Viv Richards in the last 2-3 years (in the late 80s & early 90s) of his career - not Ponting currently at all.

Those are the keys areas. The most you can say about the last two years is that he hasn't got some big runs due to very marginal factor. Ponting's batting againts Steyn in super form @ Melbourne last summer was a good as anything he has been doing between 2001 to 2006/07.

Ponting could easily in coming series for AUS have a series where he smokes two or three hundreds in a series IMHO.




EDIT: I also can point out innings in the last 5 years (before as people have claimed he has been in decline since Ashes 06/07) where Ponting was batting beautifully & failed to score a hundred. 3 come to mind right now:


- Capetown 2006 (out playing a false shot)

Kallis to Ponting, OUT, OUT: holds up on the pitch and is taken at short cover as he drove to finally get a break thru

RT Ponting c Hall b Kallis 74 (178m 112b 8x4 1x6) SR: 66.07

Out playing false shot

- Super test 2005. Was batting beautifully in that match, looked good for a hundred in both innings.

- Birmingham 2005. Now i know you remember how superbly he was batting in that first innings. Before he played a lazy paddle sweep of Giles to get out.

The only time since 2001 when Ponting looked in any sort of decline was in 2004 - coincidentally his first year as skipper. His batting that year was far less productive than anything that has happened since Ashes 06/07. People oughta chill....Punter is quite fine!!

 

[Top_Cat]

Reckon he's not quite as whip-quick as he used to be (shock!) and he knows it so it's affected his decision-making, hence why he seems to be getting hit more often and going out to the pull.

Happens to everyone. Even AB, as good a puller as anyone for many years, put it in the cupboard towards the end.

 

[Smudge]

Probably one of the best pullers i have seen in recent history.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Interesting points raised, makes one wonder if he might put it away at some stage. I doubt that's really Ponting's style personally, but it would be interesting to see him score a century one day without playing one.