‘Pujara ko kaise chod diya’- Fans react as Ricky Ponting names his combined India-Australia XI ahead of Test Championship Final
The Test Championship final will be played at the Oval in June.
SHARE
May 28, 2023 1:07 pm
Ricky Ponting (Source: Twitter)
The Test Championship final will be played commence on June 7, and the big marquee clash will be played between India and Australia at the Oval. England will host the final for the second time in a row after the 2019-21 cycle. India lost the Test Championship final in 2021 to New Zealand when Edgbaston hosted the final. And India will hope to turn things around.
Meanwhile, Ricky Ponting had made a combined XI of India and Australia on his own in his latest interview for the Cricket Governing Body. “I’ll start with Usman Khawaja. His last couple of years, whether it has been in Australia or away, have been outstanding at the top of the order,” Ponting said on The Cricket Governing Body Review podcast. “I’m going left-hand-right-hand, so I’ll go for Rohit Sharma as the other opener. He’s not just entirely form-based either. I wanted him to be captain of the side.
It is pretty hard to go past Virat Kohli and Steve Smith when it comes to middle-order batters – Ricky Ponting
Ponting then talked about the middle order. He said Marnus Labuschagne will be part of the XI along with the seasoned duo of Virat Kohli and Steve Smith which will form the fulcrum of the side. Since he (Labuschagne) came into Test cricket as a concussion sub at Lord’s when Steve Smith got hit by Jofra Archer, he’s hardly put a foot wrong,” “Pretty hard to go past the next couple I’ve got in the batting line-up, which are Virat Kohli and Steve Smith,” Kohli and Smith have been ruling the roost in Test cricket.
“What I’ve seen with Ravi Jadeja the last two or three years in Test cricket is how much his batting has improved, and he can easily hold down a number six or number seven spot. “Ponting out Alex Carey as the wicketkeeper, He said that Carey had a safe pair of hands behind the stumps. The bowling attack has the likes of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Mohammad Shami, and Nathan Lyon. Ponting praised Starc’s outstanding performance in the past year and Shami’s recent form in Test cricket.
Ricky Ponting’s combined India-Australia Test XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, Ravindra Jadeja, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Mohammed Shami.
The joke is that Gill and Siraj will actually play well in this match . Both have great confidence right now and the oval pitch in the second innings will flatten out .
