Punter's attempt at improving form

[Gambit]

Net TV to beat batting ills AUSTRALIA skipper Ricky Ponting has turned to high-tech plasma screen gadgetry in a private batting tutorial to help snap his form slump before Australia's tour of the West Indies this month. In fascinating scenes at Brisbane's Allan Border Field, an enormous plasma screen television was hauled into the practice net next to Ponting as he was video-taped facing deliveries from a bowling machine. The video footage was fed through the plasma screen, on a five-second delay, enabling Ponting to play a stroke and then watch it replayed immediately on TV. Ponting, who endured a run of low scores in last summer's one-day series and then failed to fire for Kolkata in the Indian Premier League, emerged delighted and declaring it as possibly the most valuable net session ever. "It's the first time I've used that, it is the best little coaching session you can have," Ponting declared. "It's good to have a coach or someone standing by that knows your game. But to have it explained to you is one thing, to see it for yourself and be able to identify yourself what you are doing during a shot is fantastic." Australia coach Tim Nielsen is a big fan of the plasma screen training set-up and it is likely to become a common sight at practice sessions. Ponting claims he is not overly worried by his form slump - most recently scoring just 39 runs in the IPL at 9.75 - but feels the funky plasma session is a "priceless" tool which can help him back to his devastating best. "Sometimes you know yourself what you are doing but to put your finger right on it is a little more difficult," Ponting said. "With this set-up, you hit one and you give yourself time to have a look at the replay and digest it. "It can pick up everything ... head position, backlift and whatever it is you want to work on. I have used game footage over the years but to have it at training, especially when you are trying to get everything ticking over again, is priceless." While he won't say it, Ponting's batting was clearly short-circuited by some of the dramas of the hostile Indian summer in which he came under fire both on and off the field. It may have been Ponting's toughest time in cricket - possibly even tougher than the 2005 Ashes loss - and he even endured an ill-conceived call for him to be sacked as skipper for his handling of the side. Ponting's media commitments were brought up by Nielsen in a team meeting this week, but Ponting insists he won't be cutting back on his off-field duties as captain. "I won't be shirking my responsibilities," Ponting said. "There are a number of commitments I have as Australian captain and they are things I have to do. "As the captain you are expected to carry a bit more of the burden and a bit more responsibility in the side. Australia leave on Saturday for the tour of the Caribbean, starting with three Tests.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,23668475-23212,00.html

[Predator_05]

He should pump cow blood into his legs. It worked like a charm for Shane Watson, didn't it ? Look at how well Watto is playing in the IPL...

[matma]

Ponting's slump continues. From the Indian tour to the IPL. To me, he looked extremley vulnerable outside off-stump...club-cricket like in fact. When this happens, you tend to push hard at the ball. Something Ponting has been doing. Well a trait of a wordclass player is that they come back. I have no doubts Ponting will.

[The Outsider]

Have a feeling this might be the end of Ponting's golden run of the past 4-5 years - nothing lasts forever. He is a very good player and will still manage to average 45-50, but I feel those heady days of 65-70 might be gone.

[fineleg]

I hate the smirk of Punter. But he's a darn good batsman, and he'll regain form. Heady 65+ averages may be over like shwetabh feels, but he'll be back to doing a good job with the bat.

[matma]

^^ It seems to me, that it is Aussie cricketers in general that have an 'arrogant smirk'. How nice it was to seem them lose at the WACA!

[CC1981]

Punter had one MEGA vulnerability that Ambrose and Walsh exploited early on in his career : Feed him a 'heavy' ball just off goodlength outside the offstump and he will fend to the slips. Punter is predominantly a backfoot player when it comes to fast bowling and this is one common weakness of exceptionally strong backfoot players. Punter doesnt look to come to the front foot off the fast men early on like Hayden does- unfortunately, inbetween Ambrose/Walsh and Ishant, there wasnt a genuinely good fast bowler who could also bowl with disconcerting bounce off of good length. Fortunatly for Ponting, this wasn't seen so much as a weakness versus Amby-Walsh as inexperience (plus no batsman is going to be crucified if they dont score a ton versus Ambrose-Walsh) but his struggle against the same delivery surfacing again after 8 years is a good indication that this is a technical flaw in his game and that bowlers will be keen to exploit.

[The Outsider]

^ That isn't exactly new. Flintoff and Harmison did the same during the 2005 Ashes.

[matma]

I don't know if I'd consider Ponting to be a predominantly 'backfoot' player. What I would say, is that Ponting generally doesn't get a big-stride in. Normally, its just a small/medium-step forward. I agree though that its a major technical flaw in his batting. The old probe outside off, or going hard at the ball. On another note, I am surprised that people like Ian Chapple, Tony Greig and co. put Ponting in the top-3 with Lara and Tendulkar best batsmen of this generation. To be honest, I would rather have a Rahul Dravid than a Ricky Ponting. It always surprises me when Rahul Dravid is not considered in talks of 'best batsmen'.

[CC1981]

I don't know if I'd consider Ponting to be a predominantly 'backfoot' player. What I would say, is that Ponting generally doesn't get a big-stride in. Normally, its just a small/medium-step forward

Add to it that Ponting is an amazing puller of the ball and you have just put into words the DEFINITION of a predominantly backfoot player to pace. One thing that doesnt work against Ponting-even if you are Ambrose or Akram or Donald- is the short stuff into his body- it will disappear over midwicket with alarming frequency.. This is actually a classic trait of an accomplished top order bat/opener- they are exceptionally strong on backfoot, expecting the short stuff early on from fiery pacers with a new ball and as a result,don't take a big stride and commit themselves to the frontfoot most of the time. However, this can be exploited by bowling a steepler at good length-you can only play that by commiing on to the frontfoot early,meeting the ball and negating the bounce.

On another note, I am surprised that people like Ian Chapple, Tony Greig and co. put Ponting in the top-3 with Lara and Tendulkar best batsmen of this generation. To be honest, I would rather have a Rahul Dravid than a Ricky Ponting. It always surprises me when Rahul Dravid is not considered in talks of 'best batsmen'.

I am not that surprized. Ponting is a lot more ferocious batsman than Dravid and that counts a bit. Secondly,Ponting may be a ninny against spin on up-n-down dustbowls of India but Dravid too,has a weakness against the new ball on bouncy conditions-this is demonstrated by the fact that his record in South Africa is ordinary,his record versus McGillespie is ordinary and he hasnt exactly set the ground on fire in New Zealand. And while Ponting has this one weakness against quality pace bowling, remember that Dravid isnt exceptionally strong against spin-he is distinctly inferior to Tendy-Gangu-Azhar-Sidhu when it comes to facing spin,though he is very good against it too. In many ways,Dravid is the exact opposite of Ponting-the technical maestro to the quick eye,the dour batsman to the dasher, superb against spin and decent against pace to superb against pace and decent against spin....i rate Ponting and Dravid very close to each other...and it snt suprising for me to see some rate Dravid ahead while some rate Ponting ahead.

[Spider]

Punter had one MEGA vulnerability that Ambrose and Walsh exploited early on in his career : Feed him a 'heavy' ball just off goodlength outside the offstump and he will fend to the slips. Punter is predominantly a backfoot player when it comes to fast bowling and this is one common weakness of exceptionally strong backfoot players. Punter doesnt look to come to the front foot off the fast men early on like Hayden does- unfortunately, inbetween Ambrose/Walsh and Ishant, there wasnt a genuinely good fast bowler who could also bowl with disconcerting bounce off of good length. Fortunatly for Ponting, this wasn't seen so much as a weakness versus Amby-Walsh as inexperience (plus no batsman is going to be crucified if they dont score a ton versus Ambrose-Walsh) but his struggle against the same delivery surfacing again after 8 years is a good indication that this is a technical flaw in his game and that bowlers will be keen to exploit.

But didnt Ponting score a hundred against Ambrose/Walsh in the 1999 series averaging 50+. Ponting also scored 88 on the GABBA facing a rampaging Ambrose who only took Pontings wicket only once in 8 innings he bowled to Ponting. There seems to be a growing fantasy that Ambrose dominated Ponting but in reality he only took Ponting wicket once in four tests.

[Gambit]

I don't think Ponting is a predominantly backfoot player either. He prefers to play on the frontfoot and always shuffles and goes on the frontfoot when the ball is delivered. Has a natural tendency to come forward. He has also played some stunning pulls off the frontfoot.

[CC1981]

But didnt Ponting score a hundred against Ambrose/Walsh in the 1999 series averaging 50+. Ponting also scored 88 on the GABBA facing a rampaging Ambrose who only took Pontings wicket only once in 8 innings he bowled to Ponting. There seems to be a growing fantasy that Ambrose dominated Ponting but in reality he only took Ponting wicket once in four tests.

Punter when he played vs Ambrose-Walsh-Bishop(lets not forget Bishop, who was a GREAT bowler when he could actually play before/after his back injury) and his record is thus far: 2 tests, 110 runs @ 27.50 2 tests, 168 runs @ 56.00 5 tests, 242 runs @ 40.33 total : 9 tests, 520 @ 40.00 And you'd note, i said Ambrose AND Walsh. Walsh claimed Ponting 4 times, Ambrose once and Bishop thrice in their head2heads. And the way those two bowled, often one (of Amby/Walsh) would soften the batsman up bowling with the third bowler and then the other would come and clean up the batsman in their first/second over. I've seen the last two series i mentioned- and Ponting was all at sea versus Ambrose, Walsh and Bishop. Had WI not been a butter-fingered team in the 90s, he'd have struggled to score 50s versus that attack.

[CC1981]

I don't think Ponting is a predominantly backfoot player either. He prefers to play on the frontfoot and always shuffles and goes on the frontfoot when the ball is delivered. Has a natural tendency to come forward. He has also played some stunning pulls off the frontfoot.

Ponting's trademark shot is his swivel-pull. He doesn't have a natural tendency to come on the frontfoot- those who have a natural tendency to come to the frontfoot tend to take a big front step and then rock back for a backfoot shot if the length is too short- Hayden is a classic example of a batsman who is always on the lookout to come to the front-foot. For top-order bats against pace bowling, most strong backfoot players tend to take a half-step forward and then go back. If you think about it, you will find that from a batting stance-to-backfoot stance, the short step forward and then going back works very well for the weight distribution/balance factor. Ponting has amazingly good reflexes- which is why he can afford to attack the ball with his small front-step and then going back instead of going back straightaway (mark of a batsman with poor reflexes).