“The challenge is, and I can see it with Virat now, you can see how much he wants it. He’s trying so hard that actually makes batting harder. The harder you try sometimes with batting, the less success you’re going to have,” Ponting said.

“I started thinking more about not getting out rather than scoring runs and that might sound strange but that’s what it was. I was trying to be so perfect set the right example play exactly the way my team needed me all the time but when I was playing my best I didn’t think about any of that,” Ponting added.

Ponting believes that Kohli needs to rediscover his love for the game, adding that the India batter doesn’t want to play the deliveries pitched outside his off-stump, however there is some mental block due to which he is doing so.

“I just walked out and thought about scoring runs. I can just see a little bit of that with Virat now. Even the way that he’s getting out you can see he doesn’t want to be playing at those balls he’s trying not to do it but he’s there’s some mental block there that’s making him feel for that one outside the off stump,” Ponting said.

“He had a mental break (in the past) where he stepped away for a while and then came back and find the love for the game again. So right now it just seems like that real love of the game for him is not there because he’s making it too hard to enjoy. So if he wants to continue playing Test match cricket, he might just need to have a little spell for a while, find the love for the game again” Ponting added.

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According to Ponting, Kohli is trying too hard which has been resulting in him being hurt. After he nicked the ball to the slips during India’s second innings of the Sydney test, he was spotted expressing his frustration.

“…The challenge is, and I can see it with Virat now, you can see how much he wants it. He’s trying so hard that actually makes batting harder. The harder you try sometimes with batting, the less success you’re going to have. I started thinking more about not getting out rather than scoring runs and that might sound strange but that’s what it was. I was trying to be so perfect set the right example play exactly the way my team needed me all the time but when I was playing my best I didn’t think about any of that.,” Ponting told ICC.

“I just walked out and thought about scoring runs. I can just see a little bit of that with Virat now. Even the way that he’s getting out you can see he doesn’t want to be playing at those balls he’s trying not to do it but he’s there’s some mental block there that’s making him feel for that one outside the off stump,” he added.

According to Ponting, Kohli needs a kind of vacation from the game, as the star batter is unable to play freely because of the pressure of expectations and ongoing failure.

“A break can only help the Indian legend. He had a mental break (in the past) where he stepped away for a while and then came back and find the love for the game again. So right now it just seems like that real love of the game for him is not there because he’s making it too hard to enjoy. So if he wants to continue playing Test match cricket, he might just need to have a little spell for a while, find the love for the game again,” Ponting told ICC.

After India had an England tour in 2022, Kohli had been in a similar situation where he could not perform well, and hence he took a 42-day vacation. The star batter stated that it was the first time in his career where he had not touched the bat for 30 days. After that he made a comeback in the sport and had impressive outcomes, which might happen once again if he goes on according to the advice of the former Australian captain.

The post ‘Making it too hard to enjoy…’: Ricky Ponting advices Virat Kohli to ‘Take a Break’ in order to surpass his Lean patch appeared first on Cricket Country.

Attendance record for the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar series stood at 8,37,879 which is incredibly high. The figures left Ponting stunned and he said that it will be interesting to see the attendance for the Ashes which is set to be played next summer.

He added that if the numbers aren’t the same then the Border-Gavaskar trophy is undoubtedly bigger than the Ashes.

“I had a look at the numbers yesterday, it was something like 837,000 people came to watch the Test matches, which is unheard of here in Australia. So now that this series has happened, Australia have England coming out next summer so we’ll get a better idea then. If the numbers aren’t the same, then there’ll be no doubt that the (Border-Gavaskar) rivalry (is bigger), certainly from the fans’ point of view,” Ponting told ICC.

“There’s two separate parts to this: There’s what the fans want to see and the rivalry that they want to make of it, but it’s also how the players view the rivalry between the three teams now,” Ponting added.

Former India head coach and cricketer Ravi Shastri believes that spectators which attended the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar series, set the bar really high in the modern era.

“One stat stands out: 3,75,000 people coming through the gates in that Melbourne Test match, beating the record set 90 years ago of 3,50,000. (In) 1936/1937, when the ‘G’ could hold 120,000 people and when Bradman was playing. It just goes to show the sudden interest in the modern era. The bar has been raised. The bar has been raised big time,” Shastri said.

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Seeing this, Virat Kohli lost his cool and seemed to give Konstas a shoulder push during the first session of the day. The incident occurred when the players were crossing over after the 10th over. After taking a single off Mohammed Siraj’s last ball, Konstas took his gloves off and started to walk towards his batting partner Usman Khawaja at the other end.

Kohli picked up the ball and moved purposefully in Konstas’ direction. Both the players didn’t change their direction and this saw them bump into each other. The two then exchanged a few words with each other before the players and umpires intervened.

Reacting to the incident, former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting slammed Kohli for his actions, urging the match referees to take a good look.

“Have a look where Virat walks. Virat’s walked one whole pitch over to his right and instigated that confrontation. No doubt in my mind whatsoever,” Ponting said.

“I have no doubt that the umpires and the referee will have a good look at that. Fielders should be nowhere near the batsman at that stage. Every fieldsman on the ground knows where the batsmen will congregate and get together,” Ponting added.

“It looked to me that Konstas looked up really late; he wouldn’t even know anyone was in front of him. That man on-screen there (Kohli) might have a few questions to answer,” Ponting further added.

The incident didn’t seem to break Konstas’ concentration and he went on to smash the Indian bowlers even more before eventually getting dismissed by Ravindra Jadeja after scoring 60 runs off 65 deliveries.

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Though Gill has a fine record on home soil with 1,177 runs in 17 matches and 31 innings at an average of 42.03 and with the highest score of 128 it is his form in overseas conditions which isn’t impressive at all.

In 12 Tests away from home, Gill has scored 616 runs in 22 innings at an average of 30.80, with one century and two fifties. His highest score is 110.

Speaking in the latest episode of The ICC Review, Ponting said that he loves watching Gill play.

“I love watching him play. When you’re watching him bat and bat well, he looks as good as anyone in world cricket. But the numbers don’t really stack up, do they, away from home?” Ponting was quoted by ICC as saying.

“If anything, I think he needs to back himself a little bit more, needs to back his defensive technique a little bit more here in Australia and still find a way to be able to score and score quickly,” Ponting added.

“I’m sure when he’s at home or when he’s generally scored runs anywhere around the world, he scores them in a nice, attacking mode and almost to the point where he’s not really thinking about getting out – he’s only thinking about scoring runs. If he goes in with that mindset and that attitude, then things could change here in Melbourne for him,” Ponting further said.

The fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar series is set to be played on Boxing Day at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

The post ‘Numbers don’t really stack up’: Australia legend gives BRUTAL verdict on Shubman Gill appeared first on Cricket Country.

1.) Total innings

After completing 120 Test matches, Virat Kohli has played a total of 205 innings while Ricky Ponting had played a total of 201 innings after featuring in the same number of Tests.

2.) Boundaries and sixes

After featuring in 120 Test matches, Ponting had scored a total of 1,139 boundaries and 62 sixes while Kohli 1,022 boundaries and 30 sixes in his Test career so far.

3.) Runs

After featuring in 120 Tests, Kohli has so far scored a total of 9,163 runs while on the other hand, Ponting had scored 10,239 runs after playing the same number of matches in red-ball cricket.

4.) Centuries and half-centuries

After completing 120 Test matches, Ponting had scored 36 centuries and 40 half-centuries in the longest format, while Kohli once again falls short of the Australia legend and has so far scored 30 centuries and 31 half-centuries.

5.) Average

Kohli has a brilliant average of 47.72 in Test cricket, however he once again gets outclassed by Ponting, who had an astonishing average of 58.50 after completing 120 matches in red-ball cricket.

6.) Highest individual score

After completing 120 Tests, Ponting had the highest individual score of 257 while Kohli’s highest individual score in red-ball cricket so far is 254*.

7.) Ponting’s career

The former Australia skipper went on to play 48 more Test matches and finished with a staggering 13,378 runs in the format. Ponting also had a magnificent average of 51.85 average, including 41 centuries and 62 half-centuries as he retired from red-ball cricket. Kohli’s name may be among the greats of cricket, however Ponting clearly outclasses him in the longest format.

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Yashasvi Jaiswal has been India’s supporter in Test cricket as the youngster has been in great form in the longest format of the game. Jaiswal showed his dominance with a 161-eun knock, and even had an exchange with the left-arm pacer to keep the friendly rivalry alive and well.

Jaiswal was seen telling Starc that he was bowling too show for him. Starc did not say anything at the time, but took his revenge as he sent the left handed batter on the first delivery of the pink-ball Test, dismissing him for a duck.

Ricky Ponting believes that Jaiswal might have been the one who caused the fire within Starc, and hence the pacer made a come back with his career best figure in the following Test.

 “He’s actually a pretty level-headed guy, Mitchell Starc. He doesn’t get flustered too much, even you see when he’s bowling now,” Ricky tols Sanjana Ganesan on the ICC review.

“And if one of the batters does happen to say something, he generally responds with a little smile on his face. But I think that smile on his face might be just a bit of a cover for the fire that’s burning inside. Look, he bowled beautifully in Adelaide didn’t he,” he added.

 “He certainly deserves high praise. I mean, he’s probably in the last couple of years been better than he’s ever been,” Ponting noted.

“And the reason that I say that is I think he’s a more consistent bowler now than he’s ever been before, yet his pace is still about the same as it always was. I mean, he could bowl over 150km/h probably a few years ago and he’s in absolute prime now. He’s sort of operating in the mid-140s, but his consistency, the way he’s starting spells is really good now as well,” he concluded.

Mitchell Starc has won possibly all the accolades for Australia, as he currently has two ICC ODI World Cups, one T20 World Cup, and the World Test Championship title on his tally.

The post Ricky Ponting reveals how Indian star might have caused Mitchell Starc to perform Fiercely in Adelaide appeared first on Cricket Country.

Siraj got fined 20 percent of his match fee after Australia defeated India, which comes out to be almost Rs. 9 lakh. ICC has also provided each of the two players with one demerit point.

“I was in the commentary box at the time. As soon as I saw the send-off, I actually got worried for Siraj. I know how the umpires react to those things. Umpires and referees don’t like seeing the send-off, pointed in the direction of the dressing room,” Ricky said.

“Looking back at it now, I think it was accidental the way that whole thing played out. I don’t think there was any malice meant at the start,” Ponting further added.

“Then the way it started and almost like the misinterpretation of what had actually gone on, I think led to how it ended,” he concluded.

Coming to the match, Travis Head was the top run-scorer in the second Test as he scored 140 runs, helping Australia to register a 10-wicket victory over India and level the series.

India will now aim to focus on the third match of the series, and will have to win all the three remaining matches of the series if they wish to secure their spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) finals, set to be held in England next year.

The post ‘Actually got worried for Siraj…’: Ricky Ponting reacts to Travis Head having exchange with Indian star pacer during Adelaide Test appeared first on Cricket Country.

India’s stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah was someone who shocked everyone when he decided to bat in Perth. Ponting was with Bumrah fir this decision, and also praised Indian pacers for their spectacular performance against Australia.

“Australia lost by what? Nearly 300 runs. So, they’ll be very disappointed. Everyone asked me on day one when India won the toss about having a bat, and I said, no, absolutely, you have to bat first there. Four test matches have been played there. The team batting first has won all four times. You don’t want to go against what stats say. Although they were out for 150, they still got a chance to bowl on the wicket when it was probably at its best to bowl on. And Bumrah in those conditions, and Siraj, and actually all three of them. And Nitish Reddy. They’re all very good. So, you’ve got to give them credit, said Ponting.

Ricky also believes that Indian team is better in performing on foreign wickets as compared to home conditions as they registered a dominating 295-run victory against Australia and taken a 1-0 lead in the five-match Test series.

“I must admit, I didn’t think that they could win the first test, India, going there in Perth with conditions that are so foreign to them. But I also made a point going into the test match that I actually think India are a better team away from home now than they are at home. I think they play foreign wickets and conditions better than they play their own conditions now. And I think that’s been proven over the last week in Perth,” he added.

The post Ricky Ponting’s BOLD statement on India registering victory in 1st Test of Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 appeared first on Cricket Country.

Kohli has been recently facing difficulty in finding his form in Tests. He had had a particular difficult year, as he scored just 250 runs at an average of 22.72 in six Tests. However, his performance has continuously proven that he can overpower the opposition and adjust to Australian conditions.

Virat Kohli needs 350 runs to go over Ricky Ponting and become the third-highest run-scorer in international cricket. the first and second positions are secured by Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara, respectively.

To become the Indian batter with the most Test centuries in Australia, Kohli needs to add just one more century in his total. Sachin Tendulkar and Kohli are currently tied up on six Test centuries in Australia.

Taking in consideration that Rohit Sharma will be absent in the series opener of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Kohli’s efforts will be of utmost importance for the Indian team. As the focus will be on the star batter as, he will try his best to lead the lineup and give a solid response to the critics.

The post Virat Kohli eyeing to Break these two legends’ records in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy appeared first on Cricket Country.