Article on Ponting - Kumar Sangakkar

[FaaipDeOiad]

Early in his innings Ponting shuffles across his stumps and therefore plays at balls he doesn't need to. And in the Ashes and the CT he has certainly been tested out in that area. He may not always have been dismissed by it, but he certainly has looked very vulnerable against it.

You don't have to be dismissed to be tested out.

Well yeah, he always looks bad early in his innings. He falls across the line of off stump and looks vulnerable to anything full and on the stumps, particularly moving back into him, and he plays at deliveries outside off stump and edges them when he'd either leave them or hit them for four under normal circumstances. And that's not even getting into his problems playing spin with hard hands early in his innings.

These things have been known about for years, and are pretty much the most talked about weaknesses in world cricket. I'd say they get tested out every single match. Every pace bowler throws up a few outside off for him early on, and tries to get him LBW as well, and many captains bring on a spinner when Ponting is relatively new at the crease when they can. I really don't see how these things are limited to the Ashes or CT at all, they just happen to be two series in which he didn't do especially well. In fact, I can't think of anything that was done in the CT that wasn't done last summer by South Africa, though I suppose Jerome Taylor is a little bit quicker than Ntini or Nel and might have a better chance of trapping him in front. He played and missed outside off a hell of a lot against South Africa early in his innings too, and even got put down a few times, but he also made five centuries in six tests.

I don't really agree with the suggestion that his weaknesses "haven't been tested" either, I'm just struggling to work out what is special about those two series you mentioned other than that Ponting didn't make many runs.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

I don't really agree with the suggestion that his weaknesses "haven't been tested" either, I'm just struggling to work out what is special about those two series you mentioned other than that Ponting didn't make many runs.

I think they're tested more often these days though. Because yes he may get a couple of testing deliveries early on in most of his innings, but he also receives a load of bad ones too. That's how he gets into stride, and once he's in stride, he's incredible. The difference is that in the two series I mentioned (especially the Ashes) the bad deliveries have become a lot more infrequent and the good ones more common. It's more than just knowing a player's weakness. It's about exploiting it, and I think England showed the value of accurate bowling against Ponting early on.

 

[PhoenixFire]

Because I assume people know the meaning of the word "pedantry".

Oh I do know what the meaning of pedantry is, I was just confused by the context of which you were using it.

 

[R_D]

I don't really agree with the suggestion that his weaknesses "haven't been tested" either, I'm just struggling to work out what is special about those two series you mentioned other than that Ponting didn't make many runs.

Other than Ponting didn't make runs Ashes was one of the few times Ponting came against a very good attack and struggled. In CT the pitches were friendly to bowlers and Ponting like many other batsman struggled.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Meh, the biggest problem with trying to get out Ponting is that you're pretty much trying to get him out with "bad balls". Half volleys on middle stump, which he'll punish once he's in, or really wide. Obviously, you don't bowl every one of them in these two areas - you build pressure and then bowl one of the two following - but once he's in, the balls that supposedly "get him out" are also the ones he scores off. Much like many other batsmen, e.g. Tresco.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Other than Ponting didn't make runs Ashes was one of the few times Ponting came against a very good attack and struggled. In CT the pitches were friendly to bowlers and Ponting like many other batsman struggled.

And in South Africa the pitches were friendly to bowlers and he made two centuries. I really don't see how it's relevant unless you're suggesting that Ponting struggles compared to other batsmen on those sorts of wickets.

 

[Jono]

Meh, the biggest problem with trying to get out Ponting is that you're pretty much trying to get him out with "bad balls". Half volleys on middle stump, which he'll punish once he's in, or really wide. Obviously, you don't bowl every one of them in these two areas - you build pressure and then bowl one of the two following - but once he's in, the balls that supposedly "get him out" are also the ones he scores off. Much like many other batsmen, e.g. Tresco.

So true, particularly with the ones on middle stump. Often you go "Oohh that was close, he just got bat on that"... then you see the ball trickle to the rope. It happens again the next over, and then a couple of overs after that. Suddenly he's whipped three or four boundaries and is well set.

Its not pretty watching him play across the line like that, but his eye is good enough that he often, particularly when in form, manages to keep them out and then it's too late.

 

[James90]

Haha, can imagine Gilchrist commentating.

*batsmen just knicked one to second slip*

"Really...that should have been the keeper's catch"

 

[Slats4ever]

Pretty stupid claim, IMO.

i know it's old news and i don't want it to be discussed again but i agree with everything liam said on this matter

 

[R_D]

And in South Africa the pitches were friendly to bowlers and he made two centuries. I really don't see how it's relevant unless you're suggesting that Ponting struggles compared to other batsmen on those sorts of wickets.

I was just suggesting Ponting like many others has benefited from not playing any quality bowling for long period of time ( Ponting more so than others) and when he did come up against good quality bowling outfits. He has looked like the player he was in late 90's, an Average to good batsman.
He was pretty good in SA but again bowling attack he faced was anything but good. Pitches in SA weren't assisting the bowlers as much as the ones in india in anycase.

 

[Jono]

They were helping bowlers a fair bit R_D, look at Stuart Clark in that series.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

I was just suggesting Ponting like many others has benefited from not playing any quality bowling for long period of time ( Ponting more so than others) and when he did come up against good quality bowling outfits. He has looked like the player he was in late 90's, an Average to good batsman.
He was pretty good in SA but again bowling attack he faced was anything but good. Pitches in SA weren't assisting the bowlers as much as the ones in india in anycase.

The bowling attack wasn't bad by any stretch. Wasn't quite as good as England's was in the Ashes, but it was still a good attack. Ntini, Pollock and Nel are all very good bowlers, even if Pollock is well past his best now.

And the pitches in India weren't even close for the most part, especially those Australia played on. Australia played on a few flat ones in India in fact, that were just a bit slow at most, whereas all three pitches in South Africa seamed, especially the first and third tests which were comparable to the wicket Australia played New Zealand on in the CT. The second test was merely moderately difficult for batting.

 

[R_D]

The bowling attack wasn't bad by any stretch. Wasn't quite as good as England's was in the Ashes, but it was still a good attack. Ntini, Pollock and Nel are all very good bowlers, even if Pollock is well past his best now.

And the pitches in India weren't even close for the most part, especially those Australia played on. Australia played on a few flat ones in India in fact, that were just a bit slow at most, whereas all three pitches in South Africa seamed, especially the first and third tests which were comparable to the wicket Australia played New Zealand on in the CT. The second test was merely moderately difficult for batting.

Fair enough about the pitches, I didn't really watch the test series in SA. Only saw higlights and stuff.
Bowling attack well probaly as good as it can get but certainly wasn't a good attack. Pollock hardly ever looks dangerous anymore and Nel looked pretty wayward and that leaves with one good bowler in Nitini.