Ponting: Bazball left Australia trying to find solutions
Australia had been left “scratching the head” about tips on how to fight Bazball because the Ashes sequence went on, based on Ricky Ponting who believed the ultimate 2-2 scoreline was a good outcome. Ponting though remained adamant that the controversial ball change at The Oval performed a decisive hand.
Two days of rain at Old Trafford enabled them to retain the Ashes after being plundered for 592 at 5.49 an over earlier than their probability of a primary Ashes sequence win within the nation since 2001 slipped away on a dramatic ultimate day at The Oval the place an earlier change of ball introduced England’s fast bowlers again into the sport.
“The two contrasting styles of play were great to sit back and watch,” Ponting informed the SEN Tassie breakfast present which is co-hosted by former Australia captain Tim Paine. “There was a lot of talk about Bazball and how England would approach it, and would that style stand up against the quality of the Australian attack – looking back, it probably did.
“It most likely had a number of the Australian gamers, coaches and the captain at totally different occasions scratching their head as to how they had been going to fight it. Think the 2-2 outcome, albeit most likely barely biased with a little bit of controversy in that final Test with the ball modified the best way that it was, that gifted England some situations they most likely should not have gotten, assume the extent of cricket performed throughout the sequence, the 2-2 outcome was most likely honest.”
While Chris Woakes, who was named the Compton-Miller medalist as Player of the Series despite appearing in just three matches, and Mark Wood had huge impacts after coming into the side, Ponting pinpointed England’s sustained aggression with the bat as the key element in their fightback.
“It was extra their top-order batting, I believe, [that] we struggled to come back to grips with,” he said. “The manner that Crawley and Duckett had been in a position to play firstly of each innings, actually, they acquired England off to flying begins and put stress straight again on the Australian assault. When that momentum began to construct it was laborious for the Australians to rein it again in.
“Zak Crawley has got to take a lot of credit, he was the one going into the series who was under the most pressure. That 180 he got at Manchester was as good a Test match batting as you could see…as I said it had [Pat Cummins] and the boys scratching their heads as to how they were going to bowl at him.
“Think even the Australian boys is perhaps sitting again and looking out on the manner they performed, [and asking] what can we do some bit higher to fight that sooner or later. Think a whole lot of different international locations all over the world is perhaps it as nicely and saying if we need to compete with Australia perhaps that is the best way now we have to go.”
Ponting backed the selection calls made by Australia throughout the series and praised Cummins’ ability to get through six matches including the World Test Championship final against India, although he did think there may be some new faces introduced to the bowling attack over the next 12 months.
“As the sequence wore on, Cummo was most likely the decide once more, however Starcy was excellent,” he said. “There had been some questions on whether or not Pat may get via these six Tests and preserve his depth up; there may need been a little bit of a flat spot when he was beneath a little bit of assault at Manchester however the best way he bounced again within the final Test, his tempo firstly of the final Test was the very best it has been for a very long time, so he stored coming.
“As it went on, felt to me like they could have brought [Michael] Neser in at some stage in the right conditions. But I think what they did selection wise was right. We know there is enough [depth] underneath these guys, [Lance] Morris and those guys sitting back in the wings. Think we’ve got enough there and at different times I reckon through the next 12 months we might see some different faces in our bowling line-up.”