AUS v IND 2018-19: Ricky Ponting and Glenn McGrath to be part of commentary team for the marquee series

The tour kickstarts with first of the three T20Is at Brisbane on November 21.

Ricky Ponting and Glenn McGrath with the commentary team

Greats Ricky Ponting and Glenn McGrath are part of official broadcaster Channel Seven's star-studded commentary panel for India's 3 T20Is, 4 Tests and 3 ODIs tour of Australia.

The former skipper and fast bowler will head an elite list which also includes the likes of Michael Slater, Damien Fleming, Simon Katich, Bruce McAvaney, Dirk Nannes, Lisa Sthalekar, James Brayshaw, Mel McLaughlin, Andy Maher, and Abbey Gelmi.

As per reports on InsideSport, having ended Channel 9's four-decade reign with a $450 million joint broadcasting bid with Fox Cricket and attained the status of the “New Home for Cricket in Australia”, Seven is geared up for its first major assignment at the highest level.

Terming the move to bring in Ponting as well as McGrath into the commentary box as “awkward”, Cricket Australia(CA)'s official website stated that “the cricket legends featuring in the ad are the real victims as Aussie sport commentators are crying foul of the promotion designed to show-off Seven’s world-class commentary team and its free-to-air coverage of the Aussie summer of cricket.”

Bereft of Steve Smith and David Warner due to the infamous ball-tampering incident, Australia, perhaps for the first time, doesn't start off as overwhelming favorites to dominate a visiting Indian side. This is where Virat Kohli's men have a fantastic chance to rewrite history in their favor.

The tour kickstarts with first of the three T20Is at Brisbane on Nov 21. The prestigious Border-Gavaskar Trophy 4-Test series begins in Adelaide from December 6.

(Inputs from Times Now)

 
 

By Kashish Chadha - 18 Nov, 2018

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