By CricketCountry Staff
India batsman Rahul Dravid said India are wary of Ricky Ponting striking form during the upcoming four-match Test series starting in Melbourne on December 26.
Published: Dec 20, 2011, 08:00 PM (IST)
Edited: Dec 20, 2011, 08:00 PM (IST)
Ricky Ponting hasn’t scored a Test century in 32 innings spanning almost two years © AFP
By CricketCountry Staff
Canberra: Dec 20, 2011
India batsman Rahul Dravid said India are wary of Ricky Ponting striking form during the upcoming four-match Test series starting in Melbourne on December 26.
Ponting, who turned 37 on Monday, hasn’t scored a Test century in 32 innings spanning almost two years but Dravid said the former Australian captain still had more to offer.
“I think he is still a great player,” Dravid was quoted saying in Herald Sun.
“He showed in the couple of Test matches that he played against us in India that he is still – I’d say he is still – the best Australian batsman.
“From our perspective I hope he can start a golden run after our series.
“When you read his name on the sheet he is still one of the most feared, there is no doubt about it.”
Dravid’s assessment came as former Test skipper Ian Chappell claimed Ponting has reached a point where he must consider quitting before he risks being unceremoniously axed by the Australian selectors.
“I have been through all this myself, and can easily relate to him,” Dravid said.
“I was watching those Test matches (in South Africa) and was in some way hoping that he would score runs. I hoped he would score runs in the next Test (against New Zealand) and then take a bit of a break against us.
“Sometimes it is a confidence thing. Sometimes things don’t go for you. You get a bit of a bad run, you get a couple of good balls, and then you lose a bit of confidence. Maybe your mindset changes.”
Expert commentator Ian Chappell said Ponting has it him to fight back, but urged him to retire before he dropped by the selectors.
“I’d like to think Ricky makes the decision and it’s not made by the selectors,” Chappell said during the World Cricket Summit function in Mumbai on Monday.
“If I was the selectors, I’d be saying to Ricky, ‘Unless things go disastrously wrong you’ll get to (play against India) but just be warned it (his retirement) is getting closer and closer.
“It happens to all players as they age, runs are harder to come by.
“But he showed in (Johannesburg) and the Gabba (first Test against the Kiwis) that he still has some runs in him.
“However, they won’t be the spectacular runs that he used to get, they won’t be the big scores and the big scores won’t come on a regular basis.
“I think the end really is getting close for Ricky mainly because he’s shown he’s prepared to play at a slightly lesser level, but I think he’ll have a bottom line where he’s not prepared to go past that and he’s getting to that region.
“The thing is I don’t see young players around who are ready to push him out and also you have the other factor of injuries to blokes with a bit of experience,” Chappell concluded.
