Predict Ricky Ponting's test future.

[iamdavid]

Australia is being impatient. I really think punter should be given chances like Dravid and Sachin got.

I don't think Ponting has a Sachin-esque resurgence in him unfortunately. Ponting's batting was always likely to decline quicker than Tendulkar's anyway just because of his technical issues.

Ponting has always had the big backlift and the exaggerated movement across, plus he's always been compulsive with his hooking and working balls off his stumps through the leg side. It worked famously when he was in his pomp, but his method doesn't give him a huge amount of margin for error and as his eye and reflexes have declined just slightly he's been found wanting plenty.

Sachin on the other hand is far more compact, he's much stiller and the backlift is relatively minimal, and he's never been as prolific a player of these flashy legside shots off the quicks, which are so dependent on reflexes, as Ponting has. Hence there's just a lot less that can go wrong with his batting and his method has continued to be effective even though his reactions aren't what they would've been in the late 90's.

 

[G.I.Joe]

****ing Steyn. What's with him and ending ATG careers?

He happened to show up at the fag end of said ATG careers?

 

[Burgey]

Limited it seems.

 

[Ruckus]

Think he will bow out with the 4 tests against India. And I echo others' feelings here.. Think he will go out with a bang. Our attack is exactly what he needs to face at this point. No seamers and no ATG spinners = double hundreds galore for Punter.

If he does score heavily against India, I doubt he would go out then at all. The selecters definately won't force him out (they will think he is back to his best) and I don't think he will step down of his own accord either. The biggest challenge for Ponting atm is staying in the team beyond this current test match!

 

[Top_Cat]

He happened to show up at the fag end of said ATG careers?

Finally, something we can downgrade his record with!

 

[smash84]

Finally, something we can downgrade his record with!

 

[Ruckus]

So what do we have now? Even if Ponting hardly scores any more runs in this series, you'd think he has bought himself a lot more time. The finish line suddenly looks a lot further away than it could have been a month or two back.

 

[Tricia McMillan]

So what do we have now? Even if Ponting hardly scores any more runs in this series, you'd think he has bought himself a lot more time. The finish line suddenly looks a lot further away than it could have been a month or two back.

Indeed. People were calling for his head after the home series against New Zealand. This one should buy him selection to a few more series' afterwards, and if he can't get anything going in any of them I'd expect him to be dropped.

Of course, if a batsman in the squad gets injured or drops form, Ponting would probably be at or near the top of the list to be recalled into the team.

 

[silentstriker]

I doubt Ponting would hang round domestically waiting for a recall if he were dropped.

 

[silentstriker]

In any case, he bought himself some time, which may work to his average's disadvantage in the long term though obviously the most important issue is helping his team in the short term, which he certainly did today.

 

[Tricia McMillan]

I doubt Ponting would hang round domestically waiting for a recall if he were dropped.

You think we'd see him back in the Indian Premier League if he gets dropped before it starts?

 

[Burgey]

His future's so bright
He's gotta wear shades

 

[Spikey]

I doubt Ponting would hang round domestically waiting for a recall if he were dropped.

Yeah. Will be a retire from all forms sorta retirement. Mussey meanwhile will hang around for awhile.

 

[Ruckus]

Indeed. People were calling for his head after the home series against New Zealand. This one should buy him selection to a few more series' afterwards, and if he can't get anything going in any of them I'd expect him to be dropped.

Of course, if a batsman in the squad gets injured or drops form, Ponting would probably be at or near the top of the list to be recalled into the team.

I was one of them tbh, although Watson's prolonged injuries somewhat complicated things. Will be very interested to see how he fares for the rest of this series though, because in all honesty nobody knows whether this is beginning of a 'batting renaisance' or merely a short phase of good scores. With regards to future series', I really think even if he fails big time in the ones after this, he still won't be replaced. There are too many other potential holes in our batting atm for selectors to even consider it I reckon (and probably rightly so).

 

[Eclipse]

I think he will score another 3-4 tons over the next 12-15 months and then retire.

He may no longer be capable of the breathtaking innings of his prime but if he can just play the way he did today and at the MCG test then he will keep scoring runs for a while yet.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

So what do we have now? Even if Ponting hardly scores any more runs in this series, you'd think he has bought himself a lot more time. The finish line suddenly looks a lot further away than it could have been a month or two back.

Which might not be for the good of the Australian side long term. It may mean he gets another year or so of so so performances when a younger player could do with the experience to step up their own game.

Lets face it, just because Ponting has done well in the series so far against a rank bad attack doesn't mean the problem with the brittle Aussie batting line up is suddenly solved.

I for one would be glad if he was still in the side for the ashes, we had his measure in the last series and he will be much older then. His career average against England is much lower than his overall one anyway so he hasn't had the same hold over us as many other sides.

 

[Burgey]

Which might not be for the good of the Australian side long term. It may mean he gets another year or so of so so performances when a younger player could do with the experience to step up their own game.

Lets face it, just because Ponting has done well in the series so far against a rank bad attack doesn't mean the problem with the brittle Aussie batting line up is suddenly solved.

I for one would be glad if he was still in the side for the ashes, we had his measure in the last series and he will be much older then. His career average against England is much lower than his overall one anyway so he hasn't had the same hold over us as many other sides.

He made 60+ scores in SA and on bowler-friendly decks in Brisbane and Melbourne though. Hobart was bad for him, but his grandmother passed away mid-match and no one did that well other than Warner.

I mean, last match he and Hussey put on the important runs, and here it was 3-30 odd.

Guess we just have to wait and see. It is a conundrum though.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Don't think it's that big an issue. The touted replacements haven't completely convinced - they've shown promise, but haven't demanded selection.

Gives some people time to put their hand up over the February/March period as well. When you throw Watson in the mix, we have our batting options to get us through the next two Tests. Then hopefully your Khawaja, Christian get the numbers up to demand to be on the next tour and show that they've learnt from their time in/around the squad.

 

[silentstriker]

Meh you can't really drop him now. There are other parts of the batting order who you'd want to let go first atm. The time to drop him, if you wanted to, was a series or two ago. He definitely seems back in form now.

 

[Crazy Sam]

At the very least what's he's done is, provided he hasn't retired by then, is left his name there for consideration by the selectors. The more options the better imo.