da aviator aposta： Ricky Ponting leads the brave outlook and wants to use his fresh talent towear down India’s veterans, so they are the ones wilting instead ofAustralia’s new faces
Ali Cook08-Oct-2008
Ricky Ponting: “There’s no reason why our fast bowlers alone can’t win us this Testseries” © AFP
They may be as green as the ends of the Bangalore pitch, but Australiawill rely on their untried and untested as they attempt to upstage India.The visiting side is almost unrecognisable from the one that won in 2004 -and it doesn’t bother the players.Ricky Ponting leads the brave outlook and wants to use his fresh talent towear down India’s veterans, so they are the ones wilting instead ofAustralia’s new faces. To counter the problem that only Ponting, MatthewHayden, Michael Clarke and Simon Katich have played a Test in India, thecaptain is demanding new-age fielding for his new-look side. He wantsyouthful enthusiasm – five players in the 12 are in their 20s, which isyoung by Australia’s recent standards – to override experience.Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman arecoming towards the end of their careers and Ponting hopes to exploit anycreak in their bodies and fatigue in their minds. “I really think we cantake them on in the field, almost a new-age type of Test cricket that canmake a few of their guys look a bit old and a bit slow,” he said. Pontingspoke to the team on Tuesday and pushed the point along with the need forsharp running between wickets.”We can create pressure on them with our intensity in the field atdifferent times, and make them look past their use-by date,” he said.”That’s what we’re trying to achieve, to put their older guys underimmense pressure. We know if we do that, and make little things standout, their whole media over here will just jump on them, especially ifthey lose an early game.”The total fielding concept has been developed under the assistant coachMike Young, a former baseball mentor, and Australia will have to be onfire to make up for their other deficiencies. Spin bowling is the mainproblem – Cameron White and Jason Krejza are fighting for the final spotin the XI – and a new combination is being tried in the middle orderfollowing Andrew Symonds’ suspension.Shane Watson will bat at No. 6 in his fourth Test – his first for threeyears – and will enter ahead of Brad Haddin and White, if he is preferredfor his superior run-making skills. Michael Clarke has had a stomach bugthis week but trained on Wednesday and will take his place, which is a bigboost for the side as it needs his multi-purpose skills.Another concern for Australia is that none of their fast men have appearedin a Test in India. Brett Lee will lead the attack, with Stuart Clark andMitchell Johnson as support, and Ponting has faith in the combination.”Our spinners are young and inexperienced at Test level, but if you lookat our fast bowlers, those guys are very skilled and talented,” Pontingsaid. “There’s no reason why our fast bowlers alone can’t win us this Testseries.”In 2004 Australia relied heavily on Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne and Jason Gillespie with the ball and Damien Martyn with the bat. Ponting expects the next rung of representatives to step up in this series.”There are a number of challenges for me as captain,” he said. “I need tolook at different ways and call on different guys at different times toget similar jobs done to the ones McGrath and Warne and those guys weredoing for us.”Anyone who plays for Australia is capable of getting any job done. Iexpect that when I ask Mitchell Johnson or Stuart Clark or Brad Haddin todo a certain job for me or the team, they’re good enough to get it done.”He will also require a lot more output from himself. India is the onlyplace Ponting has not conquered and it is something he is determined tofix. In eight Tests here he has managed 172 runs, including only 17 in the 2001 series when his nightmare with Harbhajan Singh began.”For me it’s just a matter of trusting myself,” he said. “The series herein 2001, the really bad series, was because I didn’t trust my technique andwas trying to find a way in every innings to combat mainly Harbhajan.”I’ve learned a lot and come a long way as a player since then. Only thisplace in the world has got me.” If it happens again Australia’s hopes ofretaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy might be impossible.