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IND vs AUS: Ponting sees disruption in the Indian camp with Rohit joining the squad after the start of the series as he backed the Aussies to win the Border-Gavaskar title.
Ricky Ponting (L) suggested that Rohit Sharma’s arrival midway into the series could be a potential disruption. (Image: AFP)
IND vs AUS: The legendary Australian skipper, Ricky Ponting feels that Rohit Sharma joining the squad for the 2nd Test in Adelaide could be a ‘potential disruption’ for the visiting side ahead of the pink ball Test at the Adelaide Oval.
The five-match Test series is set to begin on November 22 at Perth and the Indian skipper will miss the series opener as he is on a paternity break which means Jasprit Bumrah will lead the side in his absence.
Ponting sees disruption in the Indian camp with Rohit joining the squad after the start of the series as he backed the Aussies to win the Border-Gavaskar title with a 3-1 win.
“I just think there’s potential for more disruption through their campaign with Sharma coming back and whatever else. So, I’ll stick with it (3-1 verdict in favour of Australia),” Ponting said on ICC Review.
“(Marnus) Labuschagne and (Steve) Smith need to make runs for Australia. And their bowling attack is as good as anyone’s in the world. So, I’ll stick with my 3-1 Australia prediction,” he added.
Despite Rohit’s absence for the opening Test, Ponting feels that the Indian squad will be more or less settled and have a clear idea of their vulnerabilities with some key players missing out.
“India will be pretty certain of what team they’re going to play (in Perth). They’ve known for a while that Rohit probably wasn’t going to be here,” Ponting said.
“They’ve probably known for a while that Bumrah was going to be captain. So, they probably knew what holes they needed to fill. So, they’ll be reasonably settled,” he added.
Along with Rohit, Shubman Gill will also miss out on the Perth Test after picking up a fractured thumb during practice.
Mohammed Shami, who has been a key member of India’s fast-bowling unit, has yet to play an international game since the 2023 ODI World Cup in India but could join the squad mid-way into the series as he has shown positive signs on his road to recovery after a fine display in the Ranji Trophy.
India’s WTC campaign hangs in the balance after a disappointing loss against New Zealand on home soil, a 0-3 series whitewash, making their road to the final much harder. India now has to win four and draw one out of the remaining five Tests in the season to seal their spot in the final.
(with PTI Inputs)
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