Ricky Ponting, the former Australian captain, believes that the Indian bowlers missed an opportunity to fully exploit the favorable conditions on the first day of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia at the Kennington Oval in London. Ponting observed that India’s performance in the first hour of the match was disappointing and could have been better. Despite winning the toss and choosing to bowl first, India allowed Australia to reach a score of 73/2 before lunch.
According to the 48-year-old, India should have aimed to dismiss four or five Australian batsmen by lunch, which would have been advantageous for Rohit Sharma and his team. Ponting mentioned that India made a mistake by bowling too many short deliveries in the initial hour of play. Considering the pitch and weather conditions, as well as the use of a new Dukes ball, the Indian bowlers should have bowled fuller deliveries, encouraging the Australian batsmen to play more shots along the ground. India managed to take only two wickets by lunch, which was a satisfactory result for Australia.
Ponting acknowledged that while the captain often receives the most criticism, the decision-making process involves more individuals. He revealed that he witnessed Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma engaging in a lengthy discussion on the field before the toss, contemplating their strategy. If India had chosen to bowl first, Ponting believes they should have played four seamers. Although the decision has not yet yielded the desired outcome, Ponting emphasized the need for patience before making judgments, as there is still a long way to go in the match.
