Ricky Ponting has emphasized the significance of Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara for India in the upcoming World Test Championship Final against New Zealand at The Oval. Ponting believes that the Australian team will be strategizing about these two players ahead of the match, considering their exceptional records against Australia.
Pujara, in particular, has been a thorn in the side of the Australian team, consistently scoring runs and centuries against them. In the 24 Tests he has played against Australia, the 35-year-old has amassed 2033 runs and five centuries. Kohli has also enjoyed considerable success against Australia in Test cricket, accumulating 1979 runs in 24 matches, including his highest score of 186 against them earlier this year during the Border-Gavaskar trophy.
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Speaking to the ICC, Ponting highlighted the importance of Pujara and Kohli to India’s chances in the final and stated that the Australian team will be formulating plans to dismiss them early.
Ricky Ponting mentioned, “The Australian team will be talking about Virat, no doubt about it, and they’ll be talking about Pujara. They’re the two. 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.”
Kohli enters the final at The Oval on the back of an impressive performance in the Indian Premier League (IPL), where he scored 639 runs for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in 14 matches. Ponting acknowledged that the Australian team would be aware of Kohli’s return to form and stated that the Indian star has expressed confidence in his current batting prowess.
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Ricky Ponting revealed, “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.”
The Australian team will undoubtedly have their focus on Pujara and Kohli as they prepare to face India in the high-stakes World Test Championship Final. The battle between these key players will be crucial in determining the outcome of the match at The Oval.
