Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has made bold predictions for the upcoming Border Gavaskar Trophy series between India and Australia, naming Steve Smith and Rishabh Pant as the top run-scorers. The highly anticipated five-match Test series is set to begin on November 22, 2024, at Perth Stadium
SOURCE : ZEE
Ponting, speaking on The ICC Review, expressed his confidence in Smith and Pant, highlighting their exceptional form and past performances. Smith, who has been moved back to the No.4 position after a brief stint as an opener, is expected to shine in familiar territory. “I think Smith, the fact that he’s moved back down from opener to No.4 probably makes it feel like he’s got more of a point to prove…that maybe he shouldn’t have gone up to open in the first place and that No.4 is his spot and where he should have probably been the whole time and where he probably finished his career now,” Ponting said.
Source:- bbc news
On the other hand, Pant, who has made a strong comeback to the red-ball format, has been in brilliant form, accumulating 422 runs in five games with an average of 46.88. His stellar record in Australia, where he boasts an average of 62.40, makes him a formidable contender. “With Rishabh back in the side and probably coming into bat in the middle order when the ball’s probably lost a bit of its shine and a bit of its hardness and the form that he’s in, I’ll go for him as one of the leading run-scorers as well,” Ponting added.
The series is set to be a thrilling contest, with both teams vying for crucial points in the World Test Championship. Australia, led by Pat Cummins, will be looking to defend their home turf and secure a series win, while India, under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma, will aim to continue their dominance in Test cricket.
Ponting also shared his thoughts on the overall series outcome, predicting a 3-1 victory for Australia. “I think India will win a Test match somewhere through the five Test matches. But I still think now, Australia probably look a bit more settled, a bit more experienced and we know that they’re a very hard team to beat at home. So I’ll stick with the 3-1,” he said
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