Ricky Ponting has shared a detailed assessment of India’s team combination ahead of the second Test against South Africa, especially after their 30-run loss in Kolkata. India’s decision to promote Washington Sundar to No. 3 drew attention, as he showed composure with scores of 29 and 31 but couldn’t prevent India from failing to chase a modest target of 124.
While Sundar impressed with his technique and patience, Ponting believes this move may not work outside India, especially on foreign pitches where conditions are vastly different. He stressed that despite Sundar’s promise, India still needs a more specialised option at No. 3 when playing overseas.
Ponting’s Take On Sundar’s Promotion And Team Balance
Ponting praised Sundar’s temperament, highlighting how his performances in England had already shown that he “looks every bit like a Test batter.” Yet he maintained that India must be careful about their batting order abroad. Addressing the nature of Indian pitches, Ponting reiterated his earlier concerns, saying, “I’ve been on record for a few years talking about this exactly. They prepare these wickets so much in favour of spinners that it negates the quality of their spin.”
He continued :
“It makes the opposition spinners that probably aren’t as skilful as the Indians. It makes them better when they get wickets that turn like that. The other knock on Indian cricket is that in the last five or six years, they don’t play spin as well as they did once as a batting group. So, for me, it’s just that they are evening it up for everybody else. I think New Zealand last year was a great example of that.”
He also pointed out that Washington Sundar might have been promoted simply to fill a temporary gap, given his dual role as an all-rounder. Ponting said this selection could have been a one-off decision to add flexibility to the team.
He added, “You probably look at that and think it’s a strange selection because the quality of batter that there is around India – you think, ‘Is he the best or is there someone potentially who can play better in the role?’ That might have been him filling the gap – him batting at three and being that fourth spinner in that side. It might have been to make up for that one game.”
Ponting On Pant’s Leadership And India’s Missed Chase
With Rishabh Pant likely to lead India in the second Test due to Shubman Gill’s injury, Ponting expressed full confidence in him. He explained that Pant’s IPL captaincy experience provides him with a strong foundation for leadership at the Test level.
Ponting said, “It’s never easy to come and fill in for a stop-gap captain, especially when you’ve lost a Test match few days before. Rishabh is reasonably an experienced Test-match player now and being a wicketkeeper probably helps him see how the game is evolving and what’s happening in the game. So, he’s done it in IPL for the last few years and did it for Delhi before that. I think he will be fine.”
Ricky Ponting agreed that India should have chased 124, stating, “New Zealand outplayed them for wickets that were designed and meant for the Indian players. I saw Gambhir’s quote and it’s fair enough – chasing 120 in the last innings, they should’ve been able to get that done.” As India heads into the crucial second Test in Guwahati, they must win to avoid another home series defeat within a year.
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