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Ricky Ponting believes England’s success in the Ashes will depend on their top-order’s strong start. He praised their aggressive approach.
Aussie legend Ricky Ponting (PTI)
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting believes England’s success in this year’s crucial Ashes series will largely depend on their top-order providing a strong start. England recently concluded a 2-2 series draw against India and will face their next Test challenge when the Ashes series kicks off on November 21 in Perth.
Ponting, quoted by The Times on Saturday, expressed his admiration for England’s approach, stating, “I’m as Aussie as anyone, and I love watching the way they (England) play. The Aussies embraced it and learnt about it the last time they were here. They’ll have an understanding now of what is a slightly more refined version of what England started a few years ago,” Ponting was quoted as saying by The Times on Saturday.
He acknowledged England’s potential to bat aggressively in Australia, saying, “I think they can (bat aggressively in Australia), and they will definitely try. It’s the way they naturally play, and it’s the way the coaches and captain want them to play. It’s the way they need to play — it just sets up everything for England, putting immediate pressure back on the bowlers.”
Ponting emphasised the importance of adaptability, noting, “You (the fielding side) have to adapt really quickly. They probably hold the key in Australia. If they can bat really well at the top, and set things up, that will give them a good chance in the series.”
He also observed England’s ability to refine their ultra-attacking Bazball approach, avoiding a one-dimensional strategy. “When it first started, it looked like Joe (Root) got carried away a bit. He changed his game. He’s gone back to playing normally.”
Ponting highlighted the aggressive nature of players like Ollie Pope and the more measured approach of Ben Stokes, despite his lower strike rate. He mentioned Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley as leading figures in this refined approach against top teams.
“Ollie Pope is naturally aggressive and scores pretty quickly. Stokes might have the lowest strike rate of all the batters since it began (he does). (Ben) Duckett and (Zak) Crawley are the two leading the way. So there’s been some refinement, and against the best teams they needed it,” he said.
What Did Ponting Say About Ashes Pitches?
Regarding the pitch conditions, Ponting said, “It’ll be interesting to see which way we prepare our tracks. I don’t think the Aussies will be saying anything to the groundsmen. Certainly, throughout my time, I didn’t speak to the groundsman, and even my coaches didn’t speak to him.”
“They always expected them to prepare the best wicket they could… I don’t really know which way England want it. They probably play their best cricket when they’ve got flatter pitches, because that’s what they need for their batting, but in Australia they probably need something in the wickets to help their bowling,” he said.
Ponting concluded by expressing hope for England’s fast bowling attack in the five-match series in Australia. “England are praying they’ll have Archer and Wood fit. If they are, they’ll have a crack with both of them in Perth and Brisbane, and then try to mix and match them for the rest of the series.”
“Archer adds so much to their line-up, that bit of extra pace that lifts everyone’s energy. And he’s done well against Australia in the past, and so has Wood. If they get both of them right, the attack looks pretty strong. Gus Atkinson looked good, and he’ll bowl OK in Australia,” he added.
(With inputs from IANS)
A team of reporters, writers and editors brings you news, analyses, features, live scores, results, stats and everything that’s cricket from all over the globe. Follow @cricketnext
A team of reporters, writers and editors brings you news, analyses, features, live scores, results, stats and everything that’s cricket from all over the globe. Follow @cricketnext
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