Cricket: India under tons of misery

Ponting, Clarke score centuries in final Test against India.

ADELAIDE:

Ricky Ponting became only the third player in history to pass 13,000 Test runs as he and captain Michael Clarke put India to the sword in the fourth and final Test in Adelaide as Australia reached 335 for three at stumps.

The resurgent Ponting posted his 41st Test century, while Clarke raised his 19th ton with the pair sharing a 251 fourth-wicket partnership. Ponting was unbeaten on 137, while Clarke was on 140 not out as they batted through the last two sessions, following their 288-run stand in the Sydney Test.

Ponting believed that he had played better than he had in Sydney, while conceding that the Adelaide pitch was a flatter one.

“It was a better pitch to bat on, there wasn’t much in it for the bowlers,” he said. “It’s been a good day for us and we have to make sure we win the first hour on the second day.”

Meanwhile, India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin said his team had nothing to lose and should play their natural game.

“Being three-nil down gives us a bit of a license to go out and play our natural game,” said Ashwin. “All that’s important is for each batsman to get those first 20 to 30 runs and stick it out.”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 25^th, 2012.