Despite his team making a mess of a near-win situation, Ricky Ponting dismissed suggestions that it was pressure that got the better of the World champions in Monday's fourth one-dayer.
“There is always pressure in any game,” the Australian captain said. “Even if you win the game, you are under certain pressure. It was a pretty tense game and we were not good enough to do it. I don't think we cracked under pressure, it wasn't the pressure that cost us the game. It is just the big moments where we didn't capitalise. They performed pretty well under pressure with the ball, more than anything today.”
One thing that did cost the Aussies dear was 31 runs conceded in wides from 16 wides bowled. “It happens every now and then,” the captain admitted. “We conceded 31 and they gave away 13, there is a big discrepancy there. That is pretty unacceptable. We pride ourselves on our discipline, and the lack of it today cost us the game at the end of the day. They also scored a lot of runs in the last few overs. We conceded something like 185 in the last 25 overs and that was a big factor. We need to address that."
Ponting said he wasn't surprised at the manner in which India bounced back. “With a series on the line, quite often you see teams come out and play their best cricket. I don't think we did a whole lot wrong today. India batted really well, they kept wickets in hand. We couldn't get initial breakthroughs. There were a few good shouts, a few that missed the outside edge. But we knew they would bounce back strong.
“I was pretty comfortable with our run chase for the most part. But we lost wickets at crucial stages towards the end there. Matthew Hayden's dismissal was a big turning point in the end and with Symonds also going with three or four overs left, we didn't get the kind of momentum we thought we would get. If Symonds had batted through the innings, we would have won the gamet.”
Australia floundered a little during the Symonds-Brad Hodge association, with the latter making 17 off 29 deliveries. “It wasn't intentional. With Kartik turning the ball away from the right-handers, it was difficult to hit boundaries. You must give credit where it is due. Speaking to Hodgy later, he said Kartik bowled quite beautifully.”
