Former 2-time World Cup-winning Australian captain Ricky Ponting wasn't satisfied with the shot selection of Australia batsmen in the second Test at MCG. He said the entire Australia batting order played fewer good shots than India's Shubman Gill and Ajinkya Rahane.
The Australia batsmen were bowled out on 195 and 200 in the Boxing Day Test match. No batsman failed to touch the 50-run mark in both the innings and Marnus Labuschagne was the top scorer with 48 runs.
The Melbourne Test was the first time since 1988 that no Australian player scored a half-century in a home Test match.
“I can count on one hand in Two Test matches how many pull shots have been played, how many drives down the ground have you seen? You can’t tell me there haven’t been short balls bowled or fulls balls bowled. There have been enough,” said Ponting on the ‘Unplayable Podcast’ after the 2nd Test.
“Shubman Gill & Ajinkya Rahane played more good pull shots than I think Australia have played in the two Tests. For Indian batsmen to do that against our attack & for ours to not, it’ll be a cop-out to just say their bowlers were good,” he further said.
Gill was playing his first Test for India and scored 45 and 35* in the two innings. Rahane was picked as the Man of the Match for his hundred in the first innings and 27 unbeaten runs in the second.
(With Inputs from 'Unplayable Podcast'/ Indian Express )
