After India’s win in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting showered praise on the team. The commendations didn’t stop there; Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc also spoke highly of India’s young talent, Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Ricky Ponting's Insight Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting shared his observations with Star Sports, emphasizing India’s improved performance on foreign pitches: "Australia lost by what? Nearly 300 runs. So, they'll be very disappointed. Everyone asked me on day one when India won the toss about having a bat, and I said, no, absolutely, you have to bat first there. Four test matches have been played there."
The team batting first has won all four times. You don't want to go against what stats say. Although they were out for 150, they still got a chance to bowl on the wicket when it was probably at its best to bowl on. And Bumrah in those conditions, and Siraj, and actually all three of them. And Nitesh Reddy today. They're all very good. So, you've got to give them credit."
Ponting concluded by saying, "I must admit, I didn't think that they could win the first test, India, going there in Perth with conditions that are so foreign to them. But I also made a point going into the test match that I actually think India are a better team away from home now than they are at home. I think they play foreign wickets and conditions better than they play their own conditions now. And I think that's been proven over the last week in Perth.”
(With inputs from press release)