Ricky Ponting Talks About Steve Smith and Australia’s Plans for Border-Gavaskar Trophy
Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting shared his thoughts on the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India. He mentioned that the Australian team is unlikely to have many surprises but expressed uncertainty about Steve Smith continuing as an opener.
Series Schedule
The much-awaited Border-Gavaskar Trophy will commence with the first Test–a day match–at Perth Stadium from November 22 to November 26. The second Test, scheduled for December 6 to 10 at Adelaide Oval, will feature the exciting day-night format under the stadium’s lights. After that, fans will turn their attention to The Gabba in Brisbane for the third Test, which will be held from December 14 to 18. The customary Boxing Day Test, set for December 26 to 30 at Melbourne’s storied Melbourne Cricket Ground, will bring the series to its penultimate stage. The fifth and final Test, taking place at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3 to 7, will serve as the series climax, promising a dramatic conclusion to an exciting contest.
Steve Smith’s Role
Steve Smith moved up the order following David Warner’s departure from the Test arena, allowing star all-rounder Cameron Green to slot in at his preferred position. In four Tests and eight innings as an opener, Smith has been underwhelming, scoring just 171 runs at an average of 28.50, with one half-century. His highest score as an opener is 91*.
Speaking on the latest episode of the ICC Review, Ponting said, “I think Australia will pretty much pick itself. Probably the only one question there might be with Australia again is if (Steve) Smith’s the right man to be opening the batting. That would be the only query that I can see there. But that was all about obviously bringing Cameron Green back into the side.”
Ponting added, “So I will rephrase it, not whether Smith’s the right man to open the batting but whether he thinks it is the right spot for him. Because I think if he does not think it is the right spot then they will make a change and get someone else back up there.”
Doubts Revealed
Ricky Ponting -: Ricky Ponting is a famous cricketer from Australia who used to be the captain of the Australian cricket team.
Steve Smith -: Steve Smith is a well-known Australian cricketer who is considered one of the best batsmen in the world.
Border-Gavaskar Trophy -: The Border-Gavaskar Trophy is a series of cricket matches played between India and Australia. It is named after two famous cricketers, Allan Border from Australia and Sunil Gavaskar from India.
Opener -: In cricket, an opener is a batsman who starts the batting for the team. They face the first balls of the match.
Day-night match -: A day-night match in cricket is a game that starts in the afternoon and continues into the night. Special pink balls are used so players can see them better under lights.
Boxing Day Test -: The Boxing Day Test is a special cricket match that starts on December 26th, the day after Christmas, in Melbourne, Australia. It is a big event in cricket.
