“It's always satisfying when you win, it doesn't matter if you're expected to or not,” the Aussie skipper said on the eve of Monday’s final against New Zealand. “But it's the first time in a few years that we haven't been the top-ranked team coming in. We were probably the number three team in the world and a lot of the experts thought that's where we'd finish up. But we've done everything we've needed to so far. We're happy with the way we've played our one-day cricket over the last three or four weeks. We were ready for the big moments in the semifinal, and we'll make sure we're ready for the big moments tomorrow as well. If we play well tomorrow and win the tournament, we'll look back on the last five months as being a really good period in Australian cricket.”
Australia have enjoyed the better of the exchanges against New Zealand in the past. “We've had a great deal of success against them over the last few years, so hopefully that will continue tomorrow,” Ponting observed. “They've always been a very competitive one-day unit. Their record in these sort of events over the last 10 years speaks for itself. They play to their strengths and they do it very well. They're a very disciplined side, you know New Zealand sides will play the situation. They may not be the most flamboyant players going around, but you know they'll always stand up and give their 100 percent. We have to match them in that department and let our skills take over everything else.”
Giving this edition of the Champions Trophy the thumbs-up, Ponting said: “It’s been an excellent tournament, the best and most enjoyable Champions Trophy I've played in. To have the best eight teams, over a shorter period of time... People in this country and all over the world have enjoyed the one-day cricket played over the last couple of weeks. These events are about showcasing the game, and the ICC and the players have done a terrific job of making this tournament a spectacle for the 50-over game.”
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