Quote from Ponting

[bunny]

"The gap between our best cricket and our worst cricket has been too big," he said. "We have to make that smaller if we want to win the next Test and if we want to stay in the top group of Test-playing nations." ------- I think this has always applied to India. In the past we have had players like RD, SRT and AK who would try to make sure that our worst was still good enough on the bad days. But they were not always successful. Who do you think will be the new set of guys who possess the ability to fight hard on a bad day and make sure that we grab victory from the jaws of defeat and not vice-versa? IMHO, Ishant Sharma is one such guy.

[cochise]

When I see the names Ponting and bunny in the same vicinity, only one thing comes to mind....Harbhajan!

[talksport]

Laxman

[bunny]

When I see the names Ponting and bunny in the same vicinity' date=' only one thing comes to mind....Harbhajan![/quote'] Ishant?

[cochise]

Hmmmm....yes...but Bhajji still has it on Ishant...but there is time enough for him to catch up. Let them share him around for a while...no need to be selfish eh? There is enough bunny in Ponting for the whole Indian team...

[Shane]

Srt :--d:--d

[Lord]

gambhir

[gs]

Sehwag

[bharat297]

India will always be able to produce freakishly talented individual cricketers. Its a question of their commitment and team spirit. We must take a leaf out of SAFs book and keep the same squad together for a period of 2-3 years. The squad should contain a good mix of youth and experience and let them develop their partnerships and work together, and understand each others games.

[Desi Cartman]

Ricky Ponting says we'll be back ... one day

A GREAT era has ended. So too has an ordinary year. Unfortunately, the next 12 months promise to be even worse. Things are so bad, England now appears to be favourite to win next year's Ashes series. South Africa thrashed Australia by nine wickets at the MCG yesterday to take a two-nil lead in the three-Test series. If the visitors win in Sydney, they will bump the former world champions off the top of the ICC rankings for the first time in history and complete the first whitewash of an Australian team on home soil in a series of three or more Tests. This, on top of a series loss to India a few months before, confirms the decline of the Australian side. The pain, however, does not stop there. Before the last day's play, it was assumed Shane Watson would come in to replace struggling all-rounder Andrew Symonds. However, Watson went to hospital yesterday and came away with the news that he has stress fractures in his back. He is out at least until the Ashes. Symonds, it seemed, would play on. However, after play it was announced that he would be going straight under the scalpel to have his troublesome knee fixed, selector Andrew Hilditch explaining that it was decided that if the series was gone, this was as good a time as any. The side had already braced itself for the loss of Brett Lee because of a foot injury, but now the fast bowler appears to have ankle problems too and will be out for up to eight weeks. Australia heads into the Sydney Test, which starts on Saturday, with a bowling attack that has less than 23 Tests between it. It also goes there knowing a glorious era of world domination is well and truly over. Ricky Ponting has lost eight Tests during his four years as captain of the side, five of them in the past 12 months. He is resigned to his fate and a future that is not so bright. "It seems like everything we have touched lately has not worked out the way we would have liked it," Ponting said. "We've lost two of the last three series that we've played. That's something that I guess I'm not accustomed to. A lot of players in the team aren't accustomed to losing Test matches, let alone Test series. "We've had an amazing run as a team ... over a long period of time. We have dominated world cricket for a long period of time. I'm still very positive and very sure that, with some of these younger guys coming on, in a few years' time we can get back up there and be dominating world cricket once again. :two_thumbs_up: "That's what I'll be aiming to do as the captain of the side. We'll give it our best shot." Selectors have brought in two new players to the 12 for Sydney, with Victorian all-rounder Andrew McDonald expected to replace Symonds and NSW opening bowler Doug Bollinger called up to compete with Tasmanian Ben Hilfenhaus for Lee's spot. None of the three has played Test cricket. The job of leading the fast-bowling team falls on Mitchell Johnson who debuted last summer, while Peter Siddle with three Tests and spinner Nathan Hauritz, also with three, make up the rest of the attack. Selectors have kept faith with the struggling Matthew Hayden. Ponting backed Hayden and denied the Sydney Test would be a testimonial match for him. "If he goes out there and makes a hundred or a big score in that game, well it certainly won't be," he said.

:band::band::band::band::band::band:

[graphic23]

He's been surprisingly realistic since the loss.

[Shane]

Punter is taking a leaf out of MSD's Playlist !!! cjfdjFtLv2k

[DomainK]

In a few years punter? In a few years you would be thinking of retiring punter.

[The Outsider]

Ohhhhhhhh Noooooooo!! Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna.:((

[cochise]

Ricky Ponting is much more likeable humble than arrogant.

[Ram]

There's an unmistakable ego-freak in Ponting, who shows his face to the outside world every now and then. Maybe thats the reason why he's been so successful... hmm..

[Lord]

Ricky Ponting is much more likeable humbled than arrogant.

fixed!:two_thumbs_up:

[cochise]

You may have a point Rox. Now, that is uncommon. :D

[Lord]

You may have a point Rox. Now' date=' that is uncommon. :D[/quote'] :whack: i'm still waiting 4 that uncommon event wen YOU have a point:giggle:

[cochise]

There's an unmistakable ego-freak in Ponting, who shows his face to the outside world every now and then. Maybe thats the reason why he's been so successful... hmm..

Incorrect. He does well when he concentrates on the game and not his ego. He is a remarkable batsman. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same of his sportsmanship. He inherited a champion team and it's bad habits and has got carried away...now comes the period where he will be grounded back into reality again. Now is the time that he will improve as a human being...and that is nice to see.