Ponting lauds Australia’s fighting spirit
Ricky Ponting lauded his team’s fighting spirit and comeback ability as his side took a 1-0 lead against Pakistan.
Australian captain Ricky Ponting lauded his team’s fighting spirit and comeback ability as his side took a 1-0 lead in the two-match series against Pakistan.
Australia, dismissed for 253 in their first-innings after being put in under grey skies and light drizzle, owed much to Simon Katich’s dogged 80 and 83 in the match as they recorded their 13th consecutive Test win over Pakistan.
“Katich was fantastic,” said Ponting. “The opening day had as trying conditions as you’ll ever get in a Test and with the start-stop play due to rain, it was never easy to score. But the scores that Katich got and the start he gave to us in both innings, we knew we’d be hard to beat after that performance.”
While things remained quite balanced after the end of day one, Pakistan’s lack of experience started showing as the match progressed and despite Ponting labelling it a ‘pretty evenly-balanced match’, Pakistan had no hope of chasing down the record target on the fourth day.
“It’s been a good Test. At the start of the fourth day, it could’ve gone either way. They had to play exceptionally well in order to achieve something from the match but we stuck to the task and Marcus North bowled brilliantly to seal the win.”
Published in The Express Tribune, July 17th, 2010.
Australia, dismissed for 253 in their first-innings after being put in under grey skies and light drizzle, owed much to Simon Katich’s dogged 80 and 83 in the match as they recorded their 13th consecutive Test win over Pakistan.
“Katich was fantastic,” said Ponting. “The opening day had as trying conditions as you’ll ever get in a Test and with the start-stop play due to rain, it was never easy to score. But the scores that Katich got and the start he gave to us in both innings, we knew we’d be hard to beat after that performance.”
While things remained quite balanced after the end of day one, Pakistan’s lack of experience started showing as the match progressed and despite Ponting labelling it a ‘pretty evenly-balanced match’, Pakistan had no hope of chasing down the record target on the fourth day.
“It’s been a good Test. At the start of the fourth day, it could’ve gone either way. They had to play exceptionally well in order to achieve something from the match but we stuck to the task and Marcus North bowled brilliantly to seal the win.”
Published in The Express Tribune, July 17th, 2010.