Prior to the four-match Test series between the hosts Australia and the visitors India, the former Australian World Cup-winning captain Ricky Ponting spoke about the playing XI of both teams.
After the three-match T20I series that completed with the 1-1 result, Australia and India are now busy for the four-match Test series, starting on December 6. Prior to the Test series, Ponting talked about the Indian bowling squad for the upcoming series.
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Talking about the pacers, India has five in-form pacers for the upcoming Test series – Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav and Ishant Sharma. Despite Ishant has the best experience on the Australian pitches, Ponting wants to go with Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami in the Test series as he believes that it will be the best choice in Australia.
According to cricket.com.au, Ponting told about Indian fast bowling, “Their fast bowling brigade would be Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami. Probably the way I would go here in Australia. Shami is a very good reverse swing bowler, Bhuvneshwar is very good with the new ball.”
Coming to the spin part, India has the experienced off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and young left-arm chinaman Kuldeep Yadav in the Test squad apart from the all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja (left-arm spinner). Ponting wants to go with Kuldeep rather than the experienced Ashwin as he is not confident about an off-spinner’s success in Australian pitches.
Ponting added, “Spinner if I had to pick, I would go with Kuldeep, I know what Ashwin can do, he can bowl tight, I am just not sure how many wickets he would pick in these conditions especially starting in Adelaide and going to Perth. So if I was there would pick the leg-spinner as well.”
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Moreover, Ponting also spoke about Australia’s playing XI for the first Test that will be played at Adelaide, starting on December 6.
Ponting’s Australian XI for the first Test: Marcus Harris, Aaron Finch, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine (c/wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.
