Australia will have to be prepared against the “thorn in their side” Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli if they want to beat India in the World Test Championship final at The Oval next week, feels veteran Ricky Ponting. However, India’s Test batting mainstay Pujara could provide valuable insights, having played for Sussex in the English County Championship, while Kohli is at his absolute best of form having cracked two centuries and six fifties for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the recently-concluded Indian Premier League as well.

“The Australian team will be talking about Virat, no doubt about it, and they’ll be talking about Pujara. They’re the two,” Ponting said on ‘The ICC Review’. “Pujara has been a thorn in their side a lot in the past, and in Australia, and this wicket will potentially be a lot more like an Australian pitch. They know that they’ll have to get him early.”

However, Pujara, who bats at No. 3, has 2,033 runs and five centuries in 24 Tests against Australia, and captain Rohit Sharma will hope he smashes a few more in the WTC final as well. On the other hand, Kohli had smashed 186 in the fourth Test against Australia in March during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and he would try to keep the momentum on.

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“They also know that Virat over the last few weeks is probably just about back to his absolute best, albeit in T20 cricket. He told me that the feeling he’s getting right now is that he’s almost back to his best, and that’s an ominous warning for the Australians going into a one-off game,” said Ricky Ponting.

However, Ricky Ponting is also impressed with young Shubman Gill’s performance in the IPL and his exploits in the last two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar series as well. Notably, Gill hit three centuries for Gujarat Titans in IPL 2023 and helped the team reach the final too.

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“He looks like a terrific young guy. He’s got that bit of attitude about him as well. He’s got a bit of swagger. He has some serious class. That sort of front-foot pull shot that he plays against the fast bowlers will be a shot that he’ll probably need against this Australian attack. I think he has to step up or try and take his game to another level if India are going to win this game. When you talk to the Australian batters as well, they understand how good Shami is whether it’s new ball or old ball, whether it’s in Australia or India. They know the skillset he’s got and how dangerous he can be. It’s going to have to be him,” concluded Ricky Ponting.

“I actually think they will pick Jadeja and Ashwin. Jadeja can hold down that No.6 batting spot. His batting has improved that much that they can pick him as a batter that might just bowl a few overs if required. There is no doubt that Ashwin is a more skilled and better Test bowler than what Jadeja is”, Ricky Ponting said. “But if Jadeja can hold down that batting spot, and then as the game goes on getting into the fourth and fifth day, if it does start to turn, then you’ve got that really high class second spin bowling option. That’s certainly what I’d be doing.”