Ponting predicts fightback
AUSTRALIA captain Ricky Ponting has backed his team to quickly recover from their 72-run loss to India in the third Test in Perth on Saturday.
The defeat at the WACA ended Australia’s 16-match winning streak, with Ponting’s men falling one win short of setting a new world record for consecutive victories.
Success for India sees the tourists peg back the four-match series to 2-1 and Anil Kumble’s men will be going all out to level things up in Adelaide on Thursday.
“I was reading stuff like that in the paper – ‘is the invincibility all over?’ I wouldn’t have thought so, but we’ll see,” said Ponting.
“We’ll go away and work harder than anyone. Australian teams historically have been able to bounce back. Sixteen matches in a row is a great achievement, it would’ve been great to win one more.”
Kumble, who took his 600th Test wicket during the match, is relishing getting the captaincy so late in his career.
“It’s been special,” he said. “Beating Pakistan at home, which had not happened for about 25 years, and then coming on this challenging tour of Australia and all that has happened in the past couple of weeks.
“I’ve really enjoyed it and I’ve had some tremendous support from all the team.”
India have left former captains Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly out of the one-day squad for the triangular series in Australia, which begins on February 3 and will also feature Sri Lanka.
• England’s new chief selector Geoff Miller insists Andrew Flintoff will get all the time he needs to recover from ankle surgery.
The 30-year-old Lancashire all-rounder is recovering from a fourth operation and is not expected to make his return to international duty until the summer.
“He’s been very happy with his last operation,” said Miller. “He’s coming through extremely well with his rehab. We won’t rush into anything. He’s keen to get back and we’re keen to have him.
When it’s right on both sides, we’ll look at it.”
