Ricky Ponting has made an interesting prediction for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and has said that Australia will win the series 3-1. The highly-anticipated series is slated to feature five Test matches across iconic venues like Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney, with hosts the Aussies. India presently is in the six-team standings of the WTC, while Australia is in the second.
With the 2025 WTC final on the horizon, this will be a great way to build some momentum, and probably, more importantly, identify the team that will definitely go through to play the championship clash. India will be brimming with confidence after their fine performances in their last two tours to Australia, where they won two series—historic ones. Since regaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2017, India has had a firm control over the series. However, Ponting feels that this year, Australia holds the upper hand coming into the contest.
Ricky Ponting commented on the ICC Review and what is up next: “It’s going to be a tough series, and I think we’ve got a little bit of a point to prove against India in our conditions, especially after the results of the last couple of series here. This time it’s a five-Test series, which is going to be a big difference.
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It’s been four Tests in the previous series, so the return to five Tests is something everybody’s looking forward to. I don’t really see too many drawn games happening while the weather may have a say. I’m tipping Australia to win, and as always, I’m never going to go against them. My prediction is a 3-1 victory for Australia.
He also weighed in on what the Australian squad composition should be with indications that there would not be too many surprises. But he did say that if Steve Smith — who has been opening the batting since David Warner’s retirement earlier this year — feels that opening is not his best position then there could be some adjustments. Smith, who has averaged only 28.50 in four matches in the opening position this year, has not found it easy there.
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“There may be ques- tion marks over whether Steve Smith is the right man to be opening the batting,” said Ricky Ponting. “But it’s more a case of whether Smith feels it’s the right spot for him to be at. If he doesn’t, the Aussies might just make a change and slot someone else in. It’s what has happened also because of Cameron Green’s return to the side.”
Overall, what comes forth in Ponting’s reflections is how to make the series highly competitive and what strategic decisions will be pivotal to define that context.
