JOIN US“Yes, it’s a little harsh,” admitted Ponting of the 0-2 series loss. “We played well in the majority of the first Test match, pretty well for a majority of this Test match. It goes to show that we need to play good Test match cricket on all five days, not four or four and a half. The first Test was a great example of that.
“In this Test match, we needed to break the Vijay-Tendulkar partnership on day three, it proved crucial in the outcome of the game. Probably, our inability to bat for three sessions in the second innings is the reason why we have not won here.”
Ponting focussed on some of the positives from this series. “Johnson and Hilfenhaus bowled well. Shane Watson at the top of the order has been very good for us. Tim Paine looked a world class ’keeper-batsman. We are a little inconsistent. They deserved to win both the games. And if you ask them, they themselves will be flattered by the end result,” he noted.
On a personal note, it was a good series for Ponting, who scored three half-centuries in the series, but he rued his inability to convert them into big knocks. “I also did not bat well either. As a number three batsman, if you get to 60 or 70, you are supposed to score a big one. Tendulkar made a 200 but if I had made a 200 in the first innings, the result might have been different.
“Three scores in the 70s are not good enough. I needed to make a couple of big innings. I was a little disappointed last night, when I got out late in the game. When the team needed me the most in these Indian conditions, I did well for three-quarters of the day but didn’t cross the line. When you get those starts, you have to capitalise.”