Virat Kohli isn't the richest cricketer in the world; check out the complete list

Tim Southee produced a fantastic performance on Day 5, the Kiwi was not only crucial with the bowl, but also the bat. The pacer, known for his brute batting skills, smashed a couple of sixes in his 30-run knock.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wtc-final-tim-southee-stars-as-new-zealand-eye-victory-on-reserve-day-393317" hreflang="en">WTC Final: Tim Southee stars as New Zealand eye victory on reserve day</a>&nbsp;

Team India put New Zealand on the back foot in the first session of Day 5 at the Rose Bowl in Southampton after the BlackCaps were down to 135 for 5. However, skipper Kane Williamson tried to stabilise the innings and De Grandehomme and Jamieson helped the kiwis reduce the deficit. Southee came to bat and continued the onslaught on Indian bowlers.&nbsp;

The pacer smashed two sixes and scored a crucial 46-ball 30 runs. With these maximums, Tim Southee has 75 sixes in 79 Test matches and is now on the 15th spot on the overall list. He overtook former Aussie skipper Ricky Ponting and just three sixes away from going past MS Dhoni.&nbsp;

Former Kiwi skipper Brendon McCullum leads the list with 107 maximums in his 101-match career.

Tim Southee has also surpassed Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, Proteas star AB De Villiers and West Indies' great Clive Lloyd.&nbsp;

To challenge for the win, New Zealand needed some early wickets, and Gill fell for eight as Southee brought one back in to pin him leg before with the deficit still at eight.

Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara knuckled down but another Southee inswinger did for the former, failing to play a shot as he went LBW for 30.&nbsp;

Pujara and Kohli saw out the remainder of the session and will return on Wednesday looking to build on India’s lead of 32.&nbsp;

The ICC confirmed that the reserve day would be utilised with a maximum of 98 overs (83 plus 15) to be bowled and play to begin at 10.30 a.m. BST

Tim Southee produced a fantastic performance on Day 5, the Kiwi was not only crucial with the bowl, but also the bat. The pacer, known for his brute batting skills, smashed a couple of sixes in his 30-run knock.

Tim Southee produced a fantastic performance on Day 5, the Kiwi was not only crucial with the bowl, but also the bat. The pacer, known for his brute batting skills, smashed a couple of sixes in his 30-run knock. ALSO READ: WTC Final: Tim Southee stars as New Zealand eye victory on reserve day Team India put New Zealand on the back foot in the first session of Day 5 at the Rose Bowl in Southampton after the BlackCaps were down to 135 for 5. However, skipper Kane Williamson tried to stabilise the innings and De Grandehomme and Jamieson helped the kiwis reduce the deficit. Southee came to bat and continued the onslaught on Indian bowlers. The pacer smashed two sixes and scored a crucial 46-ball 30 runs. With these maximums, Tim Southee has 75 sixes in 79 Test matches and is now on the 15th spot on the overall list. He overtook former Aussie skipper Ricky Ponting and just three sixes away from going past MS Dhoni. Former Kiwi skipper Brendon McCullum leads the list with 107 maximums in his 101-match career. Tim Southee has also surpassed Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, Proteas star AB De Villiers and West Indies' great Clive Lloyd. To challenge for the win, New Zealand needed some early wickets, and Gill fell for eight as Southee brought one back in to pin him leg before with the deficit still at eight. Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara knuckled down but another Southee inswinger did for the former, failing to play a shot as he went LBW for 30. Pujara and Kohli saw out the remainder of the session and will return on Wednesday looking to build on India’s lead of 32. The ICC confirmed that the reserve day would be utilised with a maximum of 98 overs (83 plus 15) to be bowled and play to begin at 10.30 a.m. BST

WTC Final- Tim Southee goes past Ricky Ponting in elite list of sixes-hitters

Avesh Khan has said that the Delhi Capitals playing him from their first match of IPL 2021 was an enormous confidence booster. Delhi Capitals opted to go with Avesh Khan as their lead Indian pacer, in front of the accomplished dup of Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav. The 24-year-old didn't allow them to somewhere around arising as the joint second-most elevated wicket-taker in the league, with 14 scalps to his name.&nbsp;

During a conversation with India News, Avesh Khan recognized the conviction shown by the Delhi Capitals management was a jolt for him.

"As an uncapped player, it is a major confidence boost if you get to play from the first match itself. At times, uncapped players do not get the chance initially. This year the management, coach, and captain showed confidence in me" - he said.&nbsp;

"When I had spoken to the coach and the captain, they only asked me to utilize the chance I had got because I had been with the Delhi Capitals for the last three years and that they will back me. When a coach or captain says such things to a young player, you get an inner feeling to do well for the team" - he added.

Avesh Khan's 14 wickets in IPL 2021 came at a great average of 16.50 and an adequate economy of 7.70.

"I prefer bowling with the red ball. My stats are also better with the red ball. I have taken 100 wickets in 26 first-class matches. I have done quite well for my state for the last two years" - he said.

"Last year Ranji Trophy did not happen but the year before that I had taken 28 wickets in five matches. Before that, I had taken 35 wickets in seven matches and 12 wickets in three Duleep Trophy matches. I always bowl the long spells and whether the conditions are favorable or against me, I enjoy a lot of bowling with the red ball" - he added.

Avesh Khan has been chosen as one of the reserves in the Indian squad for the World Test Championship finale and the ensuing five-Test arrangement against England. He will expect to utilize this chance and could even make the fundamental squad if there should be an occurrence of injury issues with bowlers. 
&nbsp;

Avesh Khan has said that the Delhi Capitals playing him from their first match of IPL 2021 was an enormous confidence booster. Delhi Capitals opted to go with Avesh Khan as their lead Indian pacer, in front of the accomplished dup of Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav.

Avesh Khan has said that the Delhi Capitals playing him from their first match of IPL 2021 was an enormous confidence booster. Delhi Capitals opted to go with Avesh Khan as their lead Indian pacer, in front of the accomplished dup of Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav. The 24-year-old didn't allow them to somewhere around arising as the joint second-most elevated wicket-taker in the league, with 14 scalps to his name. During a conversation with India News, Avesh Khan recognized the conviction shown by the Delhi Capitals management was a jolt for him. "As an uncapped player, it is a major confidence boost if you get to play from the first match itself. At times, uncapped players do not get the chance initially. This year the management, coach, and captain showed confidence in me" - he said. "When I had spoken to the coach and the captain, they only asked me to utilize the chance I had got because I had been with the Delhi Capitals for the last three years and that they will back me. When a coach or captain says such things to a young player, you get an inner feeling to do well for the team" - he added. Avesh Khan's 14 wickets in IPL 2021 came at a great average of 16.50 and an adequate economy of 7.70. "I prefer bowling with the red ball. My stats are also better with the red ball. I have taken 100 wickets in 26 first-class matches. I have done quite well for my state for the last two years" - he said. "Last year Ranji Trophy did not happen but the year before that I had taken 28 wickets in five matches. Before that, I had taken 35 wickets in seven matches and 12 wickets in three Duleep Trophy matches. I always bowl the long spells and whether the conditions are favorable or against me, I enjoy a lot of bowling with the red ball" - he added. Avesh Khan has been chosen as one of the reserves in the Indian squad for the World Test Championship finale and the ensuing five-Test arrangement against England. He will expect to utilize this chance and could even make the fundamental squad if there should be an occurrence of injury issues with bowlers.

'It is a major confidence boost if you get to play from the first match itself': Avesh Khan

Rishabh Pant's journey as the captain in the Indian Premier League is off to a good start as Delhi Capitals have won three of the four matches in the on-going tournament and are second on the points table.

Their latest win came against defending champions Mumbai Indians where they won for the first time in six games. During the aftermatch presentation, Pant said that head coach Ricky Ponting and other seniors have helped him a great deal as a skipper.&nbsp;

"I think, yes, as a wicketkeeper I keep on reading the game and it helps me a lot. With seniors around and Ricky Ponting in our management, I think my captaincy is going great," said Rishabh a virtual press conference.

Batting first, Mumbai Indians started on a shaky note as they lost opener Quinton de Kock (1) for cheap. Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav stitched a handy partnership as the skipper scored 44 off 30 while SKY came up with 24 runs before edging one off Avesh Khan. Ishan Kishan scored a watchful 26 off 28 as in what was a tricky Chennai pitch. However, the Mumbai Indians middle order collapsed with the likes of Hardik Pandya (0), Krunal Pandya (1) and Kieron Pollard (2) getting outdone by Amit Mishra and Lalit Yadav.

Jayant Yadav scored a handy 23 runs off 22 as Mumbai Indians posted 137-9 in 20 overs – the lowest score of IPL 2021.

For Delhi Capitals, veteran Amit Mishra picked up four wickets and Avesh Khan continued his good run of form with two scalps to his name. Kagiso Rabada, Marcus Stoinis and Lalit Yadav picked up a wicket each.

Chasing 138, Delhi Capitals lost the in-form opener, Prithvi Shaw, for 7 as Jayant Yadav drew first blood. Steve Smith and Shikhar Dhawan stitched a 53-run knock as the duo showed their experience to pull DC out of a tricky powerplay phase. While the Australian was trapped plumb by Kieron Pollard, Dhawan was sent packing by Rahul Chahar in the 15th over.

Jasprit Bumrah continued to cement his position as one of the best bowlers in death overs as he got the big wicket of DC captain Rishabh Pant for seven whereas his partner Trent Boult once again was at the top of his game with the ball.

However, Shimron Hetmyer and Lalit Yadav took Delhi Capitals over the winning line to seal their third win in IPL 2021. With the win, DC have six points to their name in the points table.&nbsp;

Rishabh Pant's journey as the captain in the Indian Premier League is off to a good start as Delhi Capitals have won three of the four matches in the on-going tournament and are second on the points table.

Rishabh Pant's journey as the captain in the Indian Premier League is off to a good start as Delhi Capitals have won three of the four matches in the on-going tournament and are second on the points table. Their latest win came against defending champions Mumbai Indians where they won for the first time in six games. During the aftermatch presentation, Pant said that head coach Ricky Ponting and other seniors have helped him a great deal as a skipper. "I think, yes, as a wicketkeeper I keep on reading the game and it helps me a lot. With seniors around and Ricky Ponting in our management, I think my captaincy is going great," said Rishabh a virtual press conference. Batting first, Mumbai Indians started on a shaky note as they lost opener Quinton de Kock (1) for cheap. Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav stitched a handy partnership as the skipper scored 44 off 30 while SKY came up with 24 runs before edging one off Avesh Khan. Ishan Kishan scored a watchful 26 off 28 as in what was a tricky Chennai pitch. However, the Mumbai Indians middle order collapsed with the likes of Hardik Pandya (0), Krunal Pandya (1) and Kieron Pollard (2) getting outdone by Amit Mishra and Lalit Yadav. Jayant Yadav scored a handy 23 runs off 22 as Mumbai Indians posted 137-9 in 20 overs – the lowest score of IPL 2021. For Delhi Capitals, veteran Amit Mishra picked up four wickets and Avesh Khan continued his good run of form with two scalps to his name. Kagiso Rabada, Marcus Stoinis and Lalit Yadav picked up a wicket each. Chasing 138, Delhi Capitals lost the in-form opener, Prithvi Shaw, for 7 as Jayant Yadav drew first blood. Steve Smith and Shikhar Dhawan stitched a 53-run knock as the duo showed their experience to pull DC out of a tricky powerplay phase. While the Australian was trapped plumb by Kieron Pollard, Dhawan was sent packing by Rahul Chahar in the 15th over. Jasprit Bumrah continued to cement his position as one of the best bowlers in death overs as he got the big wicket of DC captain Rishabh Pant for seven whereas his partner Trent Boult once again was at the top of his game with the ball. However, Shimron Hetmyer and Lalit Yadav took Delhi Capitals over the winning line to seal their third win in IPL 2021. With the win, DC have six points to their name in the points table.

'I think my captaincy is going great': Rishabh Pant on leading Delhi Capitals

After finishing as the runner-up of the previous edition of the Indian Premier League, the Delhi Capitals will start their 14th&nbsp;edition of the IPL in Mumbai on Saturday,&nbsp;against Chennai Super Kings at the&nbsp;Wankhede Stadium.&nbsp;Delhi Capitals will look to go one up and lift the trophy for the first time. DC's new skipper Rishabh Pant is looking forward to defeating his mentor and former Indian captain MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings in what will be his captaincy debut in the cash-rich T20 tournament.

Speaking ahead of their opening match, Head Coach Ricky Ponting and Captain&nbsp;Rishabh Pant expect to achieve a better result this season.

"The CSK have got a good squad of players and they've got lots of flexibility and a lot of options. But we've got a great squad as well and we want to build on last season. I have said to the boys that it's not about last season, but there are a lot of positives that we can take from the way we have played in the last couple of seasons. Although we've got a slightly different squad, we expect to play better as a group and achieve some better results. So, for us, Chennai Super Kings is just game one. We need to approach it with the right attitude and play well. Hopefully, win that game and move onto the second game. But we know that we'll have to play well to win," said Ponting.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2021-cricketers-hit-sixes-at-taking-jibes-at-dhoni-and-dhawans-gully-cricket-376296" hreflang="en">IPL 2021: Cricketers hit sixes at taking jibes at Dhoni and Dhawan's gully cricket</a>

The Australian added that Suresh Raina, who missed the last season, will make a big difference to the CSK outfit this year, "The Chennai Super Kings have been one of the most successful teams in the history of the IPL. They have got a great leader and a great squad of players. They have always managed to play consistent cricket. Last year, they were probably disappointed with the way their season worked out, but I think a lot of that had to do with the fact that Suresh Raina wasn't there for the entire tournament. He comes back to the squad this year, which is almost like a new recruit for them."

The Delhi Capitals&nbsp;Captain Rishabh Pant expressed that it will be very special for him to lead an IPL team for the first time in a match against MS Dhoni's side, "It will be extra special to walk out for the toss with MS Dhoni tomorrow. This will be the first time that I will be leading an IPL team and the first match is against Mahi bhai. I have learned a lot from him, and I have gained a lot of experience from him. Hopefully, I can use this experience against him, and we can win this match. That's what I am looking forward to."

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2021-what-is-new-what-has-changed-who-is-in-who-is-out-ten-things-different-this-time-376268" hreflang="en">IPL 2021: What is new, what has changed, who is in, who is out? Ten things different this time</a>

Pant added that the Delhi Capitals squad, for the IPL 2021, has a great mix of experience and youth, "I have been talking to the senior players like Shikhar Dhawan, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ajinkya Rahane about the fields we can set and other strategic decisions for the team. I have been talking to Ricky and our Bowling Coach James Hopes as well. There's a good mix of seniors and juniors in our squad and I think with the help of Ricky, we can do something different this year."

The DC head coach said that all players are hungry to perform and are ready for another challenge in the IPL, "I am really happy about how our last 10-11 days have gone. There will be certainly no excuses from us about how we perform in Game 1. We've got a great group of players, who are hungry and excited for another challenge for us as a franchise and a team. So, I am excited to see how the boys play tomorrow."

Pant expressed that he is just looking to keep things simple in his first match as Skipper in the IPL.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/from-rabada-to-archer-key-players-set-to-miss-first-ipl-2021-match-of-their-teams-376238" hreflang="en">From Rabada to Archer - Key players set to miss first IPL 2021 match of their teams</a>

"I haven't thought about the fact that it's my first match as Captain in the IPL. I am just going to keep things simple and give my 100 percent. You get a good idea about setting fields as a wicketkeeper and now as Captain I will be making the changes in the field directly. So, there's not going to be much of a difference for me," said Pant.

After finishing as the runner-up of the previous edition of the Indian Premier League, the Delhi Capitals will start their 14th edition of the IPL in Mumbai on Saturday, against Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede Stadium.

After finishing as the runner-up of the previous edition of the Indian Premier League, the Delhi Capitals will start their 14th edition of the IPL in Mumbai on Saturday, against Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede Stadium. Delhi Capitals will look to go one up and lift the trophy for the first time. DC's new skipper Rishabh Pant is looking forward to defeating his mentor and former Indian captain MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings in what will be his captaincy debut in the cash-rich T20 tournament. Speaking ahead of their opening match, Head Coach Ricky Ponting and Captain Rishabh Pant expect to achieve a better result this season. "The CSK have got a good squad of players and they've got lots of flexibility and a lot of options. But we've got a great squad as well and we want to build on last season. I have said to the boys that it's not about last season, but there are a lot of positives that we can take from the way we have played in the last couple of seasons. Although we've got a slightly different squad, we expect to play better as a group and achieve some better results. So, for us, Chennai Super Kings is just game one. We need to approach it with the right attitude and play well. Hopefully, win that game and move onto the second game. But we know that we'll have to play well to win," said Ponting. ALSO READ: IPL 2021: Cricketers hit sixes at taking jibes at Dhoni and Dhawan's gully cricket The Australian added that Suresh Raina, who missed the last season, will make a big difference to the CSK outfit this year, "The Chennai Super Kings have been one of the most successful teams in the history of the IPL. They have got a great leader and a great squad of players. They have always managed to play consistent cricket. Last year, they were probably disappointed with the way their season worked out, but I think a lot of that had to do with the fact that Suresh Raina wasn't there for the entire tournament. He comes back to the squad this year, which is almost like a new recruit for them." The Delhi Capitals Captain Rishabh Pant expressed that it will be very special for him to lead an IPL team for the first time in a match against MS Dhoni's side, "It will be extra special to walk out for the toss with MS Dhoni tomorrow. This will be the first time that I will be leading an IPL team and the first match is against Mahi bhai. I have learned a lot from him, and I have gained a lot of experience from him. Hopefully, I can use this experience against him, and we can win this match. That's what I am looking forward to." ALSO READ: IPL 2021: What is new, what has changed, who is in, who is out? Ten things different this time Pant added that the Delhi Capitals squad, for the IPL 2021, has a great mix of experience and youth, "I have been talking to the senior players like Shikhar Dhawan, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ajinkya Rahane about the fields we can set and other strategic decisions for the team. I have been talking to Ricky and our Bowling Coach James Hopes as well. There's a good mix of seniors and juniors in our squad and I think with the help of Ricky, we can do something different this year." The DC head coach said that all players are hungry to perform and are ready for another challenge in the IPL, "I am really happy about how our last 10-11 days have gone. There will be certainly no excuses from us about how we perform in Game 1. We've got a great group of players, who are hungry and excited for another challenge for us as a franchise and a team. So, I am excited to see how the boys play tomorrow." Pant expressed that he is just looking to keep things simple in his first match as Skipper in the IPL. ALSO READ: From Rabada to Archer - Key players set to miss first IPL 2021 match of their teams "I haven't thought about the fact that it's my first match as Captain in the IPL. I am just going to keep things simple and give my 100 percent. You get a good idea about setting fields as a wicketkeeper and now as Captain I will be making the changes in the field directly. So, there's not going to be much of a difference for me," said Pant.

It will be extra special: Rishabh Pant looking to defeat MS Dhoni-led CSK on IPL captaincy debut

Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting was left surprised by how DC snapped up Steve Smith on the cheap for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021. While Ponting hinted that Smith is not a definite starter in the DC playing XI, he said that the Australian batsman will have added motivation given he was released by Rajasthan Royals and mega-auction is approaching next season. &nbsp;<o:p></o:p>

Ponting revealed that Smith’s name wasn’t discussed during the auction strategy as they thought the Aussie would be too expensive for them. However, IPL 2021 auction left the former Aussie skipper surprised. <o:p></o:p>

"I'm not really sure how we got him so cheap," Ponting told cricket.com.au this week ahead of the 2021 tournament, which starts on Friday.<o:p></o:p>

"It was quite clear that a lot of other teams had more money than us going into the auction. A lot of other teams released more players, so they got a lot of their salary cap back.<o:p></o:p>

"So going into the auction, we hadn't really spoken a lot about Smithy. His name did come up in some of the strategy stuff, but … we just thought 'we're getting outbid', simple as that. So we hadn't put that much time into it.<o:p></o:p>

"I was on the phone at home actually watching the auction live and talking to our owners as it was all happening. And that one bid came from us, and it was one bid and bang! Sold to Delhi Capitals.<o:p></o:p>

"It was actually quite remarkable how it turned out because that sort of class doesn't come around all the time and that sort of experience doesn't come around all the time."<o:p></o:p>

While Smith will bring extensive experience along with him, he sees himself in a battle to start for DC in IPL 2021. With only four overseas players allowed, the likes of Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje and Marcus Stonis have done enough to find their names on the team sheet. Smith will have to battle the likes of Shimron Hetmyer, Sam Billings, Chris Woakes and Tom Curran for the fourth overseas squad in the playing XI.<o:p></o:p>

"I think the fact that he's been released from the franchise that he's been at for a long time will make him a bit hungry as well this year," he said.<o:p></o:p>

"So, if he gets an opportunity with us – I think it will be in the top three somewhere – if he gets an opportunity, I'm sure he'll have a great year for us.<o:p></o:p>

"I caught up with him (recently), he's very, very keen to go out there and perform well.<o:p></o:p>

"Obviously the other side of that is there's a big auction again next year, so if he happens to have a really good IPL this year, then I'm sure that that price is going to go up for the coming season.<o:p></o:p>

"(It's) great to have him as a part of our squad. As I said – even if he doesn't play, for instance, to have someone like that around with his sort of knowledge on the game and the T20 game, will be great for our group. I can't wait to work with him again.<o:p></o:p>

"When you get a chance to play in a competition like that, which is as strong as it is, it can't hurt you, that's for sure. You can take so much from it because you're playing against the best players in the world for eight weeks in a row."<o:p></o:p>

DC will start their IPL 2021 campaign against Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on April 10.<o:p></o:p>

Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting was left surprised by how DC snapped up Steve Smith on the cheap for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021. While Ponting hinted that Smith is not a definite starter in the DC playing XI, he said that the Australian batsman will have added motivation given he was released by Rajasthan Royals and mega-auction is approaching next season.

Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting was left surprised by how DC snapped up Steve Smith on the cheap for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021. While Ponting hinted that Smith is not a definite starter in the DC playing XI, he said that the Australian batsman will have added motivation given he was released by Rajasthan Royals and mega-auction is approaching next season. Ponting revealed that Smith’s name wasn’t discussed during the auction strategy as they thought the Aussie would be too expensive for them. However, IPL 2021 auction left the former Aussie skipper surprised. "I'm not really sure how we got him so cheap," Ponting told cricket.com.au this week ahead of the 2021 tournament, which starts on Friday. "It was quite clear that a lot of other teams had more money than us going into the auction. A lot of other teams released more players, so they got a lot of their salary cap back. "So going into the auction, we hadn't really spoken a lot about Smithy. His name did come up in some of the strategy stuff, but … we just thought 'we're getting outbid', simple as that. So we hadn't put that much time into it. "I was on the phone at home actually watching the auction live and talking to our owners as it was all happening. And that one bid came from us, and it was one bid and bang! Sold to Delhi Capitals. "It was actually quite remarkable how it turned out because that sort of class doesn't come around all the time and that sort of experience doesn't come around all the time." While Smith will bring extensive experience along with him, he sees himself in a battle to start for DC in IPL 2021. With only four overseas players allowed, the likes of Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje and Marcus Stonis have done enough to find their names on the team sheet. Smith will have to battle the likes of Shimron Hetmyer, Sam Billings, Chris Woakes and Tom Curran for the fourth overseas squad in the playing XI. "I think the fact that he's been released from the franchise that he's been at for a long time will make him a bit hungry as well this year," he said. "So, if he gets an opportunity with us – I think it will be in the top three somewhere – if he gets an opportunity, I'm sure he'll have a great year for us. "I caught up with him (recently), he's very, very keen to go out there and perform well. "Obviously the other side of that is there's a big auction again next year, so if he happens to have a really good IPL this year, then I'm sure that that price is going to go up for the coming season. "(It's) great to have him as a part of our squad. As I said – even if he doesn't play, for instance, to have someone like that around with his sort of knowledge on the game and the T20 game, will be great for our group. I can't wait to work with him again. "When you get a chance to play in a competition like that, which is as strong as it is, it can't hurt you, that's for sure. You can take so much from it because you're playing against the best players in the world for eight weeks in a row." DC will start their IPL 2021 campaign against Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on April 10.

Getting released by RR will make Steve Smith hungry for IPL 2021: Delhi Capitals' Ricky Ponting

Delhi Capitals coach and former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting on Monday revealed that Prithvi Shaw refused to bat at nets when he was going through a torrid run of form during Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 in the UAE while hoping that the youngster has changed his training approach ahead of IPL 2021, scheduled to start from April 9.

While Shaw averaged just 17.53 in 13 matches during IPL 2020, the youngster has roared back to form during the Indian domestic season in 2021.&nbsp;

Ponting has said that he tried to help Shaw out with his technical frailties with the bat but added that the youngster didn’t want to bat at nets when he was completely out of form during IPL 2020 as he said he couldn’t really work that theory out.

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"I've tried (taking Shaw under his wing) the last two years and I've really enjoyed working with him," Ponting told cricket.com.au before departing for India. "I've had some really interesting chats with him through last year's IPL, just trying to break him down, trying to find out exactly what was the right way to coach him and how I was going to get the best out of him.

"But he had an interesting theory on his batting last year – when he's not scoring runs, he won't bat, and when he is scoring runs, he wants to keep batting all the time.

"He had four or five games where he made under 10 and I'm telling him, 'We have to go to the nets and work out (what's wrong)', and he looked me in the eye and said, 'No, I'm not batting today'.

"I couldn't really work that out.

"He might have changed. I know he's done a lot of work over the last few months, that theory that he had might have changed, and hopefully it has, because if we can get the best out of him, he could be a superstar player."

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With Delhi Capitals skipper Shreyas Iyer out of IPL 2021 due to shoulder injury, DC would hope that Shaw fires all cylinders with the willow. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Shaw hammered a staggering 827 runs including four centuries in eight innings. The change in form came after the Test tour of Australia, where he was dropped after the opening Test. Shaw had admitted that he felt "worthless" and suffered the "saddest day of my life" when he got the news of losing his spot.

"I was going pretty hard at him," said the former Australia captain. "I was basically telling him, 'Mate you've got to get in the nets. Whatever you think you're working on, is not working for you'."

"It's my job as a coach to challenge someone's preparation if they're not getting results. So I challenged him and he stuck to his word and he didn't practice much at all towards the back-end of the tournament, and didn't get many runs towards the back-end of the tournament either."

Shaw’s batting technique was scrutinized by many including the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Ponting, who believes Shaw has the ability to become a superstar. Ponting further said that he hasn’t seen many more talented players than Shaw in his entire career.

"Maybe (his training habits) have changed for the better, because (his success) won't just be for the Delhi Capitals, I'm sure you'll see him play a lot of cricket for India as well in the coming years," said Ponting.

"He's diminutive … in the (Sachin) Tendulkar sort of mould but hits the ball incredibly powerfully off front and back foot, and plays spin really well.

"If we can get him to take that form that he's just shown into the IPL, it just makes the balance on our Delhi Capital side so good.

"If (the penny) does drop – I'm not sure I've seen many more talented players than him in my whole time of playing the game."

Delhi Capitals coach and former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting on Monday revealed that Prithvi Shaw refused to bat at nets when he was going through a torrid run of form during Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 in the UAE while hoping that the youngster has changed his training approach ahead of IPL 2021, scheduled to start from April 9.

Delhi Capitals coach and former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting on Monday revealed that Prithvi Shaw refused to bat at nets when he was going through a torrid run of form during Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 in the UAE while hoping that the youngster has changed his training approach ahead of IPL 2021, scheduled to start from April 9. While Shaw averaged just 17.53 in 13 matches during IPL 2020, the youngster has roared back to form during the Indian domestic season in 2021. Ponting has said that he tried to help Shaw out with his technical frailties with the bat but added that the youngster didn’t want to bat at nets when he was completely out of form during IPL 2020 as he said he couldn’t really work that theory out. TRENDING: Watch: 'Thala' MS Dhoni unleashes monstrous sixes at CSK nets ahead of IPL 2021 "I've tried (taking Shaw under his wing) the last two years and I've really enjoyed working with him," Ponting told cricket.com.au before departing for India. "I've had some really interesting chats with him through last year's IPL, just trying to break him down, trying to find out exactly what was the right way to coach him and how I was going to get the best out of him. "But he had an interesting theory on his batting last year – when he's not scoring runs, he won't bat, and when he is scoring runs, he wants to keep batting all the time. "He had four or five games where he made under 10 and I'm telling him, 'We have to go to the nets and work out (what's wrong)', and he looked me in the eye and said, 'No, I'm not batting today'. "I couldn't really work that out. "He might have changed. I know he's done a lot of work over the last few months, that theory that he had might have changed, and hopefully it has, because if we can get the best out of him, he could be a superstar player." ALSO READ: BCCI president Sourav Ganguly provides update on IPL 2021 scheduling amid spike in COVID-19 cases With Delhi Capitals skipper Shreyas Iyer out of IPL 2021 due to shoulder injury, DC would hope that Shaw fires all cylinders with the willow. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Shaw hammered a staggering 827 runs including four centuries in eight innings. The change in form came after the Test tour of Australia, where he was dropped after the opening Test. Shaw had admitted that he felt "worthless" and suffered the "saddest day of my life" when he got the news of losing his spot. "I was going pretty hard at him," said the former Australia captain. "I was basically telling him, 'Mate you've got to get in the nets. Whatever you think you're working on, is not working for you'." "It's my job as a coach to challenge someone's preparation if they're not getting results. So I challenged him and he stuck to his word and he didn't practice much at all towards the back-end of the tournament, and didn't get many runs towards the back-end of the tournament either." Shaw’s batting technique was scrutinized by many including the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Ponting, who believes Shaw has the ability to become a superstar. Ponting further said that he hasn’t seen many more talented players than Shaw in his entire career. "Maybe (his training habits) have changed for the better, because (his success) won't just be for the Delhi Capitals, I'm sure you'll see him play a lot of cricket for India as well in the coming years," said Ponting. "He's diminutive … in the (Sachin) Tendulkar sort of mould but hits the ball incredibly powerfully off front and back foot, and plays spin really well. "If we can get him to take that form that he's just shown into the IPL, it just makes the balance on our Delhi Capital side so good. "If (the penny) does drop – I'm not sure I've seen many more talented players than him in my whole time of playing the game."

'I'm not batting today': Ricky Ponting opens up on Prithvi Shaw's refusal to train during IPL 2020

Indian skipper Virat Kohli will be looking to end his century drought in the series decider against England. However, it has not stopped him from contributing runs for Team India in the 50-over format.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/we-used-him-in-the-t20is-but-its-virat-kohli-on-whether-hardik-will-bowl-in-odi-series-373724" hreflang="en">'We used him in the T20Is but it's...': Virat Kohli on whether Hardik will bowl in ODI series</a>

The last time he scored a century in ODI was back against West Indies in August 2019, however, since then he has scored eight 50-plus scores in 14 innings.&nbsp;

Skipper Kohli is on the brink of breaking a major record. The Indian skipper is just 167 runs away from surpassing Sri Lanka legend Arjuna Ranatunga in the list of most ODI runs by a captain. If he scores and surpasses the former Sri Lankan great, he will climb to the fourth spot.&nbsp;

Former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting tops the list with 8497 runs in 230 matches as captain. He is followed by former Indian captain MS Dhoni, who racked up 6641 runs in 200 games. New Zealand's Stephen Fleming is third 6295 runs in 2018.

Virat Kohli is also just 13 runs away from becoming the 4th batsman to complete 5,000 ODI runs at home. He will be fourth to do so after Sachin Tendulkar (6976), Ricky Ponting (5406), and Jacques Kallis (5178).

The Indian captain is also one century away from equalling Sachin Tendulkar’s tally of most centuries (20 centuries) at home in ODIs and one short of equalling Ricky Ponting for most centuries as captain, which is 22 in ODIs.

India have already defeated England in the Test and T20I series.

Indian skipper Virat Kohli will be looking to end his century drought in the series decider against England. However, it has not stopped him from contributing runs for Team India in the 50-over format.

Indian skipper Virat Kohli will be looking to end his century drought in the series decider against England. However, it has not stopped him from contributing runs for Team India in the 50-over format. ALSO READ: 'We used him in the T20Is but it's...': Virat Kohli on whether Hardik will bowl in ODI series The last time he scored a century in ODI was back against West Indies in August 2019, however, since then he has scored eight 50-plus scores in 14 innings. Skipper Kohli is on the brink of breaking a major record. The Indian skipper is just 167 runs away from surpassing Sri Lanka legend Arjuna Ranatunga in the list of most ODI runs by a captain. If he scores and surpasses the former Sri Lankan great, he will climb to the fourth spot. Former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting tops the list with 8497 runs in 230 matches as captain. He is followed by former Indian captain MS Dhoni, who racked up 6641 runs in 200 games. New Zealand's Stephen Fleming is third 6295 runs in 2018. Virat Kohli is also just 13 runs away from becoming the 4th batsman to complete 5,000 ODI runs at home. He will be fourth to do so after Sachin Tendulkar (6976), Ricky Ponting (5406), and Jacques Kallis (5178). The Indian captain is also one century away from equalling Sachin Tendulkar’s tally of most centuries (20 centuries) at home in ODIs and one short of equalling Ricky Ponting for most centuries as captain, which is 22 in ODIs. India have already defeated England in the Test and T20I series.

Virat Kohli is one century away from these records; Check them out!

Indian Premier League franchise Delhi Capitals have appointed former India wicketkeeper Ajay Ratra as the team’s Assistant Coach for the upcoming season, the team's press release read on Sunday.&nbsp;

IN PICS|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/ipl-2021-who-will-captain-delhi-capitals-in-absence-of-shreyas-iyer-check-the-list-of-options-372866" hreflang="en">IPL 2021: Who will captain Delhi Capitals in absence of Shreyas Iyer? Check the list of options</a>

The 39-year-old has recently managed Assam in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Tournament and the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Former India player has been a coach for Punjab too. Ratra was part of the Indian's Women's Cricket Team during camps and worked as a Fielding &amp; Wicketkeeping Coach.&nbsp;

This will be his first-ever stint in the Indian Premier League.&nbsp;

On his appointment, Ratra said, “I am honoured to join Delhi Capitals as Assistant Coach. This is a very exciting team to work with, abundant with talent. I can't wait to meet the team and contribute to its success. I am grateful to the Delhi Capitals management for giving me this wonderful opportunity.”

“We would like to welcome Ajay Ratra to the Delhi Capitals family," said CEO Vinod Bisht, on the latest development. “His experience, as player and coach will be invaluable, as we look to take the franchise from strength to strength. We are excited to have him on board, and wish him all the very best for the upcoming season."

Ajay Ratra has featured in six Tests and 12 ODIs for Team India. He made history in 2002 when he became the youngest wicketkeeper to score a Test hundred, and the second Indian wicketkeeper to score a century overseas. He was just 20 years old.&nbsp;

Delhi Capitals will be coached by Ricky Ponting. Ajay Ratra will join Ponting, Mohammad Kaif, Pravin Amre and James Hopes in the coaching staff.

Indian Premier League franchise Delhi Capitals have appointed former India wicketkeeper Ajay Ratra as the team’s Assistant Coach for the upcoming season, the team's press release read on Sunday.

Indian Premier League franchise Delhi Capitals have appointed former India wicketkeeper Ajay Ratra as the team’s Assistant Coach for the upcoming season, the team's press release read on Sunday. IN PICS| IPL 2021: Who will captain Delhi Capitals in absence of Shreyas Iyer? Check the list of options The 39-year-old has recently managed Assam in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Tournament and the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Former India player has been a coach for Punjab too. Ratra was part of the Indian's Women's Cricket Team during camps and worked as a Fielding & Wicketkeeping Coach. This will be his first-ever stint in the Indian Premier League. On his appointment, Ratra said, “I am honoured to join Delhi Capitals as Assistant Coach. This is a very exciting team to work with, abundant with talent. I can't wait to meet the team and contribute to its success. I am grateful to the Delhi Capitals management for giving me this wonderful opportunity.” “We would like to welcome Ajay Ratra to the Delhi Capitals family," said CEO Vinod Bisht, on the latest development. “His experience, as player and coach will be invaluable, as we look to take the franchise from strength to strength. We are excited to have him on board, and wish him all the very best for the upcoming season." Ajay Ratra has featured in six Tests and 12 ODIs for Team India. He made history in 2002 when he became the youngest wicketkeeper to score a Test hundred, and the second Indian wicketkeeper to score a century overseas. He was just 20 years old. Delhi Capitals will be coached by Ricky Ponting. Ajay Ratra will join Ponting, Mohammad Kaif, Pravin Amre and James Hopes in the coaching staff.

IPL 2021- 'Honoured': Ajay Ratra joins Delhi Capitals as Assistant Coach

Indian captain Virat Kohli will be looking to end the unusual century drought and surpass former Australia captain Ricky Ponting and creating a world record when he steps out to bat in the upcoming third Test against England at the Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad.&nbsp;

IN PICS:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/olympic-size-swimming-pool-dressing-room-with-gyms-11-centre-pitches-complete-guide-to-worlds-largest-cricket-stadium-in-ahmedabad-365397" hreflang="en">Olympic size swimming pool, dressing room with gyms, 11 centre pitches: Complete guide to world's largest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad</a>

The prolific India batsman has not scored a century since November 2019, where he smashed a ton against Bangladesh in a Day/Night Test at the Motera Stadium. Despite scoring two half-centuries in the series, Kohli has failed to convert them into hundreds yet.&nbsp;

If Virat scores a century at Motera, the 32-year-old will overtake former Aussie legend Ricky Ponting in the list of captains with most international hundreds. Both batting stalwarts are tied at the top position in the list with 41 centuries to their name.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-eng-james-anderson-gives-his-verdict-on-motera-stadiums-pitch-ahead-of-pink-ball-test-365455" hreflang="en">IND vs ENG: James Anderson gives his verdict on Motera Stadium's pitch ahead of pink-ball Test</a>

Kohli could surpass another major record if his team manages to win the Test match at Motera as he is currently tied with MS Dhoni in the record of India captain with most Test wins at home. He equalled Captain Cool's achievement after the massive win at Chepauk.&nbsp;

The win in the third Test against England at the Motera Stadium will be Kohli's 22nd Test win as captain at home, and he would surpass Dhoni to claim the top spot in the list.

Other Indian captains in the list following the duo are Mohammad Azharuddin (13 wins), Sourav Ganguly (10 wins), and Sunil Gavaskar (7 wins).

The four-match series is levelled at 1-1 with two matches remaining. The Day/Night Test match will begin on February 24 at the Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad.&nbsp;

Indian captain Virat Kohli will be looking to end the unusual century drought and surpass former Australia captain Ricky Ponting and creating a world record when he steps out to bat in the upcoming third Test against England at the Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Indian captain Virat Kohli will be looking to end the unusual century drought and surpass former Australia captain Ricky Ponting and creating a world record when he steps out to bat in the upcoming third Test against England at the Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad. IN PICS: Olympic size swimming pool, dressing room with gyms, 11 centre pitches: Complete guide to world's largest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad The prolific India batsman has not scored a century since November 2019, where he smashed a ton against Bangladesh in a Day/Night Test at the Motera Stadium. Despite scoring two half-centuries in the series, Kohli has failed to convert them into hundreds yet. If Virat scores a century at Motera, the 32-year-old will overtake former Aussie legend Ricky Ponting in the list of captains with most international hundreds. Both batting stalwarts are tied at the top position in the list with 41 centuries to their name. ALSO READ: IND vs ENG: James Anderson gives his verdict on Motera Stadium's pitch ahead of pink-ball Test Kohli could surpass another major record if his team manages to win the Test match at Motera as he is currently tied with MS Dhoni in the record of India captain with most Test wins at home. He equalled Captain Cool's achievement after the massive win at Chepauk. The win in the third Test against England at the Motera Stadium will be Kohli's 22nd Test win as captain at home, and he would surpass Dhoni to claim the top spot in the list. Other Indian captains in the list following the duo are Mohammad Azharuddin (13 wins), Sourav Ganguly (10 wins), and Sunil Gavaskar (7 wins). The four-match series is levelled at 1-1 with two matches remaining. The Day/Night Test match will begin on February 24 at the Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Indian captain Virat Kohli eyes couple of huge records at third Test against England

Former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting was concerned about Rishabh Pant's form as a wicketkeeper after the 21-year-old dropped Australia opener Will Pucovski twice in three overs in the third Test at the SCG.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/that-was-loose-shot-mark-waugh-unimpressed-in-the-way-warner-got-out-in-third-test-355140" hreflang="en">'That was loose shot': Mark Waugh unimpressed in the way Warner got out in third Test</a>

“The one’s (dropped catches) today are two that should be taken, simple as that. It’s probably lucky for Rishabh that Pucovski didn’t go on and make a big hundred or a double hundred and looking at the wicket, it looks like an unbelievable surface,” Ponting told cricket.com.au.

Pucovski, who was dropped on 26, went on to score 62 before being dismissed by debutant Navdeep Saini. Pant has been a part of 65 dismissals in 14 Test match, however, the wicket-keeper batsman has dropped some crucial catches in the past.

“I’m sure when Rishabh put those catches down, he would have thought the worst and ‘here we go, he’s really going to make me pay’ but (Pucovski) didn’t today,” Ponting added. “I’ve said it all along, the knock-on Rishabh is always going to be on his keeping. Since his debut in Test cricket, he’s dropped more catches than any other keeper in the world. That highlights he has got some work to do with his keeping.”

Ponting praised Pucovski for his crucial 62.&nbsp;

“The thing I liked most was his composure. He looked really composed, he didn’t look overawed at all. He looked like he trusted his game, trusted his defence early on against some good fast bowling and just before the tea break started to expand his game a little bit; (he played) some nice cut shots, back-foot punches and some nice pull shots,” Ponting said.

“It’s a great start. He’ll be disappointed, no doubt, that he didn’t really cash in and make a big score. But at the same time, I think he’ll be quite content knowing he’s got a game that can stand up at Test level. We’ll all keep our fingers crossed and hope that he stays fit and healthy because he could potentially be a 10- or 12-year player for Australia.”

Former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting was concerned about Rishabh Pant's form as a wicketkeeper after the 21-year-old dropped Australia opener Will Pucovski twice in three overs in the third Test at the SCG.

Former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting was concerned about Rishabh Pant's form as a wicketkeeper after the 21-year-old dropped Australia opener Will Pucovski twice in three overs in the third Test at the SCG. ALSO READ: 'That was loose shot': Mark Waugh unimpressed in the way Warner got out in third Test “The one’s (dropped catches) today are two that should be taken, simple as that. It’s probably lucky for Rishabh that Pucovski didn’t go on and make a big hundred or a double hundred and looking at the wicket, it looks like an unbelievable surface,” Ponting told cricket.com.au. Pucovski, who was dropped on 26, went on to score 62 before being dismissed by debutant Navdeep Saini. Pant has been a part of 65 dismissals in 14 Test match, however, the wicket-keeper batsman has dropped some crucial catches in the past. “I’m sure when Rishabh put those catches down, he would have thought the worst and ‘here we go, he’s really going to make me pay’ but (Pucovski) didn’t today,” Ponting added. “I’ve said it all along, the knock-on Rishabh is always going to be on his keeping. Since his debut in Test cricket, he’s dropped more catches than any other keeper in the world. That highlights he has got some work to do with his keeping.” Ponting praised Pucovski for his crucial 62. “The thing I liked most was his composure. He looked really composed, he didn’t look overawed at all. He looked like he trusted his game, trusted his defence early on against some good fast bowling and just before the tea break started to expand his game a little bit; (he played) some nice cut shots, back-foot punches and some nice pull shots,” Ponting said. “It’s a great start. He’ll be disappointed, no doubt, that he didn’t really cash in and make a big score. But at the same time, I think he’ll be quite content knowing he’s got a game that can stand up at Test level. We’ll all keep our fingers crossed and hope that he stays fit and healthy because he could potentially be a 10- or 12-year player for Australia.”

'He’s dropped more catches than any other keeper in world': Ricky Ponting on Rishabh Pant

The Australian batting unit has been central to widespread criticism for their poor run with the willow in the ongoing four-match Test series against India, which is locked at 1-1 after the conclusion of first two Test. The form of Aussie batters has irked former captain Ricky Ponting as he said the hosts haven’t shown enough intent in the Border-Gavaskar series.

While discussing the first two Tests on the ‘Unplayable Podcast’, Ponting said that lack of drives and pull shots from the Australian batsman haven’t helped their cause with the hosts desperately looking to win the series after losing it last time in 2018-19.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/he-should-be-ready-to-go-warner-may-play-the-third-test-even-if-he-is-not-100-fit-353609" hreflang="en">'He should be ready to go': Warner may play the third Test even if he is not 100% fit</a>

“I can count on one hand in Two Test matches how many pull shots have been played, how many drives down the ground have you seen? You can’t tell me there haven’t been short balls bowled or full balls bowled. There have been enough,” said Ponting.

Ponting further took a sly jibe at the Aussie batsmen as he said that the likes of Shubman Gill and Ajinkya Rahane played more pull shots than the hosts have played in the first two Tests.

“We saw today, I know it was a small total and it is easier to go and play your shots, but Shubman Gill &amp; Ajinkya Rahane played more good pull shots than I think Australia have played in the two Tests. For Indian batsmen to do that against our attack &amp; for ours to not, it’ll be a cop-out to just say their bowlers were good,” Ponting further said.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/indias-ajinkya-rahane-gets-his-name-engraved-mcg-honours-board-for-2nd-time-353455" hreflang="en">India's Ajinkya Rahane gets his name engraved MCG honours board for 2nd time</a>

Notably, this is the first time since 1988 that a single Australian player failed to score a half-century in a home Test match.

India and Australia will next lock horns in the third Test, scheduled to start from January 7 at the Sydney Cricket Ground. 
&nbsp;

The Australian batting unit has been central to widespread criticism for their poor run with the willow in the ongoing four-match Test series against India, which is locked at 1-1 after the conclusion of first two Test.

The Australian batting unit has been central to widespread criticism for their poor run with the willow in the ongoing four-match Test series against India, which is locked at 1-1 after the conclusion of first two Test. The form of Aussie batters has irked former captain Ricky Ponting as he said the hosts haven’t shown enough intent in the Border-Gavaskar series. While discussing the first two Tests on the ‘Unplayable Podcast’, Ponting said that lack of drives and pull shots from the Australian batsman haven’t helped their cause with the hosts desperately looking to win the series after losing it last time in 2018-19. ALSO READ: 'He should be ready to go': Warner may play the third Test even if he is not 100% fit “I can count on one hand in Two Test matches how many pull shots have been played, how many drives down the ground have you seen? You can’t tell me there haven’t been short balls bowled or full balls bowled. There have been enough,” said Ponting. Ponting further took a sly jibe at the Aussie batsmen as he said that the likes of Shubman Gill and Ajinkya Rahane played more pull shots than the hosts have played in the first two Tests. “We saw today, I know it was a small total and it is easier to go and play your shots, but Shubman Gill & Ajinkya Rahane played more good pull shots than I think Australia have played in the two Tests. For Indian batsmen to do that against our attack & for ours to not, it’ll be a cop-out to just say their bowlers were good,” Ponting further said. ALSO READ: India's Ajinkya Rahane gets his name engraved MCG honours board for 2nd time Notably, this is the first time since 1988 that a single Australian player failed to score a half-century in a home Test match. India and Australia will next lock horns in the third Test, scheduled to start from January 7 at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

'I can count on one hand...' - Ricky Ponting left fuming over Australian batsmen's shot selection in Test series

Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has picked his Aussie playing XI for the Adelaide Test against India, starting from December 17. With Australia struggling to field their best XI due to injuries, Ponting has come up with a strong yet interesting playing XI with a surprise pick to replace the injured David Warner.&nbsp;

Ponting was known for his aggressive captaincy and brave calls on the field and that reflects on the Australian playing XI he picked for the Adelaide Test against India. The former Aussie skipper has backed out-of-form Joe Burns to open the innings while coming up with the interesting suggestion to pick Matthew Wade as his partner.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/postponements-and-resumption-a-turbulent-year-of-2020-for-sports-world-346992" hreflang="en">Postponements and resumption: A turbulent year of 2020 for sports world</a>

Continuing his team, Ponting picked the likes of Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith at number three and four respectively before naming Travis Head, Cameron Green (if passed fit) and skipper Tim Paine. Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon complete Ponting’s Australia XI for Adelaide Test.

“I’ll have a lot of messages and suggestions coming my way that he (Burns) hasn’t scored enough runs to stay in the side, but I’m keeping him in there. 40 in his last Test innings, he’s made four-Test match hundreds, averages almost 40 – I’m sticking with him and showing some faith,” Ponting told 7Cricket.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-aus-steve-smith-misses-crucial-net-session-due-to-lower-back-soreness-349905" hreflang="en">IND vs AUS: Steve Smith misses crucial net session due to lower-back soreness</a>

Ponting added, "What I am doing is moving Matthew Wade up to the top of the order. It gives a left-hand, right-hand combination. We saw last time India were out here, when we had two left-handers in our top order, the Indian bowling attack absolutely dominated the two lefties. I know I’ll cause a bit of a stir here, but that’s the way I’d go," stated the former right-handed batsman.

Ricky Ponting's Australia XI for the first Test vs India: Matthew Wade, Joe Burns, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green (if fit), Tim Paine, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon. 
&nbsp;

Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has picked his Aussie playing XI for the Adelaide Test against India, starting from December 17. With Australia struggling to field their best XI due to injuries, Ponting has come up with a strong yet interesting playing XI with a surprise pick to replace the injured David Warner.

Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has picked his Aussie playing XI for the Adelaide Test against India, starting from December 17. With Australia struggling to field their best XI due to injuries, Ponting has come up with a strong yet interesting playing XI with a surprise pick to replace the injured David Warner. Ponting was known for his aggressive captaincy and brave calls on the field and that reflects on the Australian playing XI he picked for the Adelaide Test against India. The former Aussie skipper has backed out-of-form Joe Burns to open the innings while coming up with the interesting suggestion to pick Matthew Wade as his partner. ALSO READ: Postponements and resumption: A turbulent year of 2020 for sports world Continuing his team, Ponting picked the likes of Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith at number three and four respectively before naming Travis Head, Cameron Green (if passed fit) and skipper Tim Paine. Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon complete Ponting’s Australia XI for Adelaide Test. “I’ll have a lot of messages and suggestions coming my way that he (Burns) hasn’t scored enough runs to stay in the side, but I’m keeping him in there. 40 in his last Test innings, he’s made four-Test match hundreds, averages almost 40 – I’m sticking with him and showing some faith,” Ponting told 7Cricket. ALSO READ: IND vs AUS: Steve Smith misses crucial net session due to lower-back soreness Ponting added, "What I am doing is moving Matthew Wade up to the top of the order. It gives a left-hand, right-hand combination. We saw last time India were out here, when we had two left-handers in our top order, the Indian bowling attack absolutely dominated the two lefties. I know I’ll cause a bit of a stir here, but that’s the way I’d go," stated the former right-handed batsman. Ricky Ponting's Australia XI for the first Test vs India: Matthew Wade, Joe Burns, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green (if fit), Tim Paine, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon.

IND vs AUS: Ricky Ponting picks his Australia playing XI for D/N Test

Ahead of the final of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals on Tuesday, Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting has backed the Delhi outfit to come out all guns blazing against the four-time IPL winners.

Ponting has said that Delhi Capitals have enough firepower to defeat Mumbai Indians while adding it will depend on how the team turns up and how they execute their plans.&nbsp;

They have been beaten three times by Mumbai in this edition alone, but Ponting was in bullish mood ahead of the Twenty20 showdown.

"We've got enough firepower (to beat Mumbai)," the Australian great said on Monday.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2020-suryakumar-yadav-would-have-played-for-england-straightaway-says-monty-panesar-342140" hreflang="en">IPL 2020: Suryakumar Yadav would have played for England straightaway, says Monty Panesar</a>

"If they will be sitting back and thinking if there's a team they wouldn't want to play, it'll be us. But it's about us – it's about how we turn up, how we play, as simple as that."

The former Australian skipper emphasized that if Delhi Capitals rectify their mistakes in the previous defeats to Mumbai Indians then there is "no doubt that we'll win".

Delhi Capitals had an exemplary first half of IPL 2020 but fizzled off as the playoffs approached. After losing the Qualifier 1 to Mumbai Indians, they defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad in Qualifier 2 to seal their first-ever final in IPL history.&nbsp;

"The other thing about Mumbai is that they've played some pretty fearless cricket, some high-risk cricket certainly in the way they've batted," said Ponting.

"We know they rely on Trent Boult with the new bowl to take wickets for them – so if we can get that part right, and if they just have a few things go against them, and we execute and put them under pressure, then I'm sure the result can change."

Ahead of the final of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals on Tuesday, Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting has backed the Delhi outfit to come out all guns blazing against the four-time IPL winners.

Ahead of the final of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals on Tuesday, Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting has backed the Delhi outfit to come out all guns blazing against the four-time IPL winners. Ponting has said that Delhi Capitals have enough firepower to defeat Mumbai Indians while adding it will depend on how the team turns up and how they execute their plans. They have been beaten three times by Mumbai in this edition alone, but Ponting was in bullish mood ahead of the Twenty20 showdown. "We've got enough firepower (to beat Mumbai)," the Australian great said on Monday. ALSO READ: IPL 2020: Suryakumar Yadav would have played for England straightaway, says Monty Panesar "If they will be sitting back and thinking if there's a team they wouldn't want to play, it'll be us. But it's about us – it's about how we turn up, how we play, as simple as that." The former Australian skipper emphasized that if Delhi Capitals rectify their mistakes in the previous defeats to Mumbai Indians then there is "no doubt that we'll win". Delhi Capitals had an exemplary first half of IPL 2020 but fizzled off as the playoffs approached. After losing the Qualifier 1 to Mumbai Indians, they defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad in Qualifier 2 to seal their first-ever final in IPL history. "The other thing about Mumbai is that they've played some pretty fearless cricket, some high-risk cricket certainly in the way they've batted," said Ponting. "We know they rely on Trent Boult with the new bowl to take wickets for them – so if we can get that part right, and if they just have a few things go against them, and we execute and put them under pressure, then I'm sure the result can change."

IPL 2020: Ricky Ponting confident ahead of Delhi Capital's final match against Mumbai Indians

Former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir has said the Delhi Capitals coach Ricky Ponting should win this year's Indian Premier League. Also read: MI vs CSK, IPL 2020 Preview: MS Dhoni returns but will it be sufficient?

Former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir has said the Delhi Capitals coach Ricky Ponting should win this year's Indian Premier League. Also read: MI vs CSK, IPL 2020 Preview: MS Dhoni returns but will it be sufficient? The Delhi-based team has not won even a single IPL trophy. Last year the team led by Shreyas Iyer finished third as it made it to the playoffs after a long gap of seven years. "Any team can win the tournament. Mumbai I feel is a favourite but all teams are equally balanced and I hope Delhi will do better in the coming days of the tournament," Gambhir told ANI. "Delhi has not won this tournament till now so Delhi people will also love to see their team winning and it's third year of Ricky Ponting with the team so he should deliver this time. I hope (captain) Shreyas Iyer and his combination will take Delhi to heights," he added. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Indian Premier League has moved to UAE. IN PICS: Sunil Gavaskar names his SRH playing XI for IPL 2020; excludes Williamson "I hope its a successful tournament and I think players will make it successful and they should follow all the guidelines as well which BCCI has applied it's gonna be a good tournament," said Gambhir, who led Kolkata Knight Riders to two IPL titles, while he also played for Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals). "I think a lot of moods will change and that's very important, a team will win but the important thing which will come out from this tournament will be that mood of the nation will change which is important as well," he added. Delhi Capitals will open their campaign against Kings XI Punjab on September 20. (Inputs from ANI)

Third year of Ricky Ponting with DC so he should deliver this time: Gautam Gambhir

Delhi Capitals' Ravichandran Ashwin released the latest instalment of his YouTube show 'Hello Dubaiah', where he had a discussion with his team head coach Ricky Ponting over Mankading.&nbsp;

Last month, Ponting had said that he wouldn't allow players from the team to run a batsman out at the non-striker's end using the controversial method in this year's Indian Premier League (IPL). He also said that he would have a 'hard conversation' with the Delhi Capitals off-spinner before the tournament.

During the show, Ashwin brought the topic of Mankading and asked the former Aussie skipper about his comments.&nbsp;

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"I will move on to the conversation between the both of us over the run-out at the non-striker's end... To be honest, I am a serial sort of run out of guy. I started doing it at the age of 12 because I couldn't stand the batsmen taking those extra yards," Ashwin said while speaking to Ponting.

"I was a batsman myself in the junior category, and I feel it is a massive advantage. And the moment I did that, the spirit of cricket was brought into play," he added.

Ponting said: "Yeah, I totally get where you are coming from."

"I wasn't trying to say that you were [not] justified because it is actually in the laws of the game that you can do it. So if a batsman is cheating, and trying to steal a couple of yards.

"I just think that we have got to find a way around. Trying to stop the batsman cheating. We have had this conversation already. I don't want to see anyone running two or three yards down the wicket. Because that basically is cheating.

"I think there should be some sort of a run penalty. If you are to get to the top of your bowling action and stop, and it shows that the batsman is cheating and is out of his crease, I think put a run penalty on them.

"And do it right from the start, because that will stop him right away. Imagine taking 10 runs off a team total because you have taken yards... those sort of things need to be looked at," he added.&nbsp;

Delhi Capitals' Ravichandran Ashwin released the latest instalment of his YouTube show 'Hello Dubaiah', where he had a discussion with his team head coach Ricky Ponting over Mankading.

Delhi Capitals' Ravichandran Ashwin released the latest instalment of his YouTube show 'Hello Dubaiah', where he had a discussion with his team head coach Ricky Ponting over Mankading. Last month, Ponting had said that he wouldn't allow players from the team to run a batsman out at the non-striker's end using the controversial method in this year's Indian Premier League (IPL). He also said that he would have a 'hard conversation' with the Delhi Capitals off-spinner before the tournament. During the show, Ashwin brought the topic of Mankading and asked the former Aussie skipper about his comments. × "I will move on to the conversation between the both of us over the run-out at the non-striker's end... To be honest, I am a serial sort of run out of guy. I started doing it at the age of 12 because I couldn't stand the batsmen taking those extra yards," Ashwin said while speaking to Ponting. "I was a batsman myself in the junior category, and I feel it is a massive advantage. And the moment I did that, the spirit of cricket was brought into play," he added. Ponting said: "Yeah, I totally get where you are coming from." "I wasn't trying to say that you were [not] justified because it is actually in the laws of the game that you can do it. So if a batsman is cheating, and trying to steal a couple of yards. "I just think that we have got to find a way around. Trying to stop the batsman cheating. We have had this conversation already. I don't want to see anyone running two or three yards down the wicket. Because that basically is cheating. "I think there should be some sort of a run penalty. If you are to get to the top of your bowling action and stop, and it shows that the batsman is cheating and is out of his crease, I think put a run penalty on them. "And do it right from the start, because that will stop him right away. Imagine taking 10 runs off a team total because you have taken yards... those sort of things need to be looked at," he added.

Delhi Capitals player R Ashwin and head coach Ricky Ponting discuss Mankading

Ricky Ponting has warned Ravichandran Ashwin and the rest of his Delhi Capitals squad he won't tolerate any "Mankad" run-outs during the Indian Premier League.

The Australian great, who will again coach the team in next month's star-studded tournament, said the controversial tactic might be legal, but it was against the spirit of the game.

All-rounder Ashwin sparked controversy and a worldwide debate last year with his "Mankading" of England batsman Jos Buttler when the spinner was captain of Kings XI Punjab.

He has been hired by Delhi Capitals for next month's IPL in the United Arab Emirates, and Ponting said he will be talking to Ashwin as a priority.

"I'll be having a chat to him about that, that'll be the first thing I do," he told the Grade Cricketer podcast on Wednesday.&nbsp;

"It is going to be a hard conversation I'll have to have with him, but I'm pretty sure he'll take it on the chin.

"He will say that it was within the rules and he had his rights to do it, but it's not within the spirit of the game or certainly the way I want the Delhi Capitals to play."

The dismissal was named after India's Vinoo Mankad, who ran out Australia's Bill Brown by removing the bails at the bowler's end during the 1947 Sydney Test.

The mode of dismissal, while legitimate, has been widely considered unsporting.&nbsp;

But opposition to it has been softening recently, particularly in limited-overs cricket, when non-strikers can gain an unfair advantage by leaving the crease early.

Ashwin employed the tactic last year, stopping in his delivery stride to whip off the bails while Rajasthan Royals' Buttler was backing up out of his ground.&nbsp;

"If a bowler was to stop and the batsman was a foot out of his crease for instance, just penalise them some runs or something," Ponting said in suggesting an alternative.

"If the umpires make a stance and do something to actually warn the batsman that they might be cheating, then I think that's better than having an ugly incident like a Mankad."

Ricky Ponting has warned Ravichandran Ashwin and the rest of his Delhi Capitals squad he won't tolerate any "Mankad" run-outs during the Indian Premier League. The Australian great, who will again coach the team in next month's star-studded tournament, said the controversial tactic might be legal, but it was against the spirit of the game.

Ricky Ponting has warned Ravichandran Ashwin and the rest of his Delhi Capitals squad he won't tolerate any "Mankad" run-outs during the Indian Premier League. The Australian great, who will again coach the team in next month's star-studded tournament, said the controversial tactic might be legal, but it was against the spirit of the game. All-rounder Ashwin sparked controversy and a worldwide debate last year with his "Mankading" of England batsman Jos Buttler when the spinner was captain of Kings XI Punjab. He has been hired by Delhi Capitals for next month's IPL in the United Arab Emirates, and Ponting said he will be talking to Ashwin as a priority. "I'll be having a chat to him about that, that'll be the first thing I do," he told the Grade Cricketer podcast on Wednesday. "It is going to be a hard conversation I'll have to have with him, but I'm pretty sure he'll take it on the chin. "He will say that it was within the rules and he had his rights to do it, but it's not within the spirit of the game or certainly the way I want the Delhi Capitals to play." The dismissal was named after India's Vinoo Mankad, who ran out Australia's Bill Brown by removing the bails at the bowler's end during the 1947 Sydney Test. The mode of dismissal, while legitimate, has been widely considered unsporting. But opposition to it has been softening recently, particularly in limited-overs cricket, when non-strikers can gain an unfair advantage by leaving the crease early. Ashwin employed the tactic last year, stopping in his delivery stride to whip off the bails while Rajasthan Royals' Buttler was backing up out of his ground. "If a bowler was to stop and the batsman was a foot out of his crease for instance, just penalise them some runs or something," Ponting said in suggesting an alternative. "If the umpires make a stance and do something to actually warn the batsman that they might be cheating, then I think that's better than having an ugly incident like a Mankad."

IPL 2020: Ponting warns Ashwin he won't have 'Mankading' in Delhi Capitals

The 2008 India's tour of Australia which was infamously rocked by the Monkeygate episode, which put a black spot in the relationship between two cricketing giants. The verbal tussle between Harbhajan Singh and Andrew Symonds had put the entire series in jeopardy. While Ricky Ponting is hailed as one of the most successful captains of all time, the former Aussie skipper revealed that the 'Monkeygate' scandal was the lowest point in his career as a captain.

“We all felt let down by the end result (of the Monkeygate controversy). The fact that it got in the way of the way we played our cricket for the next Test match was probably the most disappointing thing,” Ponting told on a podcast conducted by a leading media outlet.

Ponting further said that Australia were heavy favourites to win the Perth Test but lost it which made the entire environment in and out of the Australian dressing room worse.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/guys-wash-your-hands-kl-rahul-reminds-shreyas-iyer-hardik-pandya-about-health-advisory-on-coronavirus-287159">'Guys, wash your hands' - KL Rahul reminds Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya about health advisory on coronavirus</a>

“So we go over there and India at Perth is game we expect to win and then we lost the match and after that, the next few days things just got worse and worse,” Ponting said.

<h2>"Monkeygate was probably the lowest"</h2>

“Monkeygate was probably the lowest (point in career as captain). Losing the 2005 Ashes series was tough but I was in full control of that. But I wasn’t in full control of what happened during the Monkeygate thing,” he added.

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The former Aussie skipper then revealed that the Monkeygate controversy was a low point in his career because the entire controversy surrounding the episode got dragged on for long.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/coronavirus-pandemic-bcci-looking-to-conduct-ipl-2020-in-july-september-window-287140">Coronavirus pandemic: BCCI looking to conduct IPL 2020 in July-September window</a>

“It was a low point and also because it dragged on for so long. I remember coming off the ground during the Adelaide Test match and speaking to Cricket Australia officials about the case because the hearing was at the end of the Adelaide Test match,” Ponting said.

However, Ponting has already said it several times that he has cleared any remaining rift with Harbhajan, Sachin Tendulkar and Anil Kumble during his stint in the Indian Premier League with Mumbai Indians.

&nbsp;

The 2008 India's tour of Australia which was infamously rocked by the Monkeygate episode, which put a black spot in the relationship between two cricketing giants.

The 2008 India's tour of Australia which was infamously rocked by the Monkeygate episode, which put a black spot in the relationship between two cricketing giants. The verbal tussle between Harbhajan Singh and Andrew Symonds had put the entire series in jeopardy. While Ricky Ponting is hailed as one of the most successful captains of all time, the former Aussie skipper revealed that the 'Monkeygate' scandal was the lowest point in his career as a captain. “We all felt let down by the end result (of the Monkeygate controversy). The fact that it got in the way of the way we played our cricket for the next Test match was probably the most disappointing thing,” Ponting told on a podcast conducted by a leading media outlet. Ponting further said that Australia were heavy favourites to win the Perth Test but lost it which made the entire environment in and out of the Australian dressing room worse. ALSO READ: 'Guys, wash your hands' - KL Rahul reminds Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya about health advisory on coronavirus “So we go over there and India at Perth is game we expect to win and then we lost the match and after that, the next few days things just got worse and worse,” Ponting said. "Monkeygate was probably the lowest" “Monkeygate was probably the lowest (point in career as captain). Losing the 2005 Ashes series was tough but I was in full control of that. But I wasn’t in full control of what happened during the Monkeygate thing,” he added. The former Aussie skipper then revealed that the Monkeygate controversy was a low point in his career because the entire controversy surrounding the episode got dragged on for long. ALSO READ: Coronavirus pandemic: BCCI looking to conduct IPL 2020 in July-September window “It was a low point and also because it dragged on for so long. I remember coming off the ground during the Adelaide Test match and speaking to Cricket Australia officials about the case because the hearing was at the end of the Adelaide Test match,” Ponting said. However, Ponting has already said it several times that he has cleared any remaining rift with Harbhajan, Sachin Tendulkar and Anil Kumble during his stint in the Indian Premier League with Mumbai Indians.

'Monkeygate was probably the lowest' - Ricky Ponting reveals lowest point of his career

A star-studded charity game to aid Australian&nbsp;bushfire&nbsp;relief was on Thursday moved from the Sydney Cricket Ground to Melbourne due to forecast torrential rain, forcing some players to drop out.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bushfire-cricket-bash-to-feature-yuvraj-singh-sachin-tendulkar-and-many-more-stars-278295">'Bushfire Cricket Bash' to feature Yuvraj Singh, Sachin Tendulkar, Lara at Sydney stadium</a>

Shane Warne and Ricky Ponting were to come out of retirement to skipper the teams on Saturday to raise money for victims of the blazes which began in September and have left at least 33 people dead and thousands of homes destroyed.

It was scheduled as a curtain-raiser to the Twenty20 Big Bash League final, but with downpours expected, Cricket Australia (CA) said it would no longer be possible at the SCG.

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With the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BigAppeal?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BigAppeal</a> approaching, exciting details about the star-studded sides have emerged! 
 
Details: <a href="https://t.co/BOYAVMPdk6">https://t.co/BOYAVMPdk6</a> <a href="https://t.co/6rrAqFzQk8">pic.twitter.com/6rrAqFzQk8</a>
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) <a href="https://twitter.com/cricketcomau/status/1225349976009531392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Instead, it will be played on Sunday at the smaller Junction Oval in Melbourne following a T20 clash between the Australia and England women's teams.

Warne, Michael Hussey, and Michael Clarke were among those forced out due to prior commitments.

"We have moved the&nbsp;Bushfire&nbsp;Bash from the SCG because we want to provide every opportunity for the BBL final to be played on Saturday night," said CA chief Kevin Roberts, amid concerns that the pitch could be damaged if there was a game beforehand.

Adam Gilchrist will now captain one of the teams in Warne's absence with Australian Test skipper Tim Paine acting as coach. The Ponting team will be coached by Sachin Tendulkar.

Other international&nbsp;stars taking part include Wasim Akram, Brian Lara, Courtney Walsh, and Justin Langer.

Match profits will go to the Australian Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery Fund.

The Sydney Sixers will face either the Melbourne Stars or Sydney Thunder in the BBL final, weather permitting.

A star-studded charity game to aid Australian bushfire relief was on Thursday moved from the Sydney Cricket Ground to Melbourne due to forecast torrential rain, forcing some players to drop out.

A star-studded charity game to aid Australian bushfire relief was on Thursday moved from the Sydney Cricket Ground to Melbourne due to forecast torrential rain, forcing some players to drop out. Also read: 'Bushfire Cricket Bash' to feature Yuvraj Singh, Sachin Tendulkar, Lara at Sydney stadium Shane Warne and Ricky Ponting were to come out of retirement to skipper the teams on Saturday to raise money for victims of the blazes which began in September and have left at least 33 people dead and thousands of homes destroyed. It was scheduled as a curtain-raiser to the Twenty20 Big Bash League final, but with downpours expected, Cricket Australia (CA) said it would no longer be possible at the SCG. With the #BigAppeal approaching, exciting details about the star-studded sides have emerged! Details: https://t.co/BOYAVMPdk6 pic.twitter.com/6rrAqFzQk8 — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) February 6, 2020 × Instead, it will be played on Sunday at the smaller Junction Oval in Melbourne following a T20 clash between the Australia and England women's teams. Warne, Michael Hussey, and Michael Clarke were among those forced out due to prior commitments. "We have moved the Bushfire Bash from the SCG because we want to provide every opportunity for the BBL final to be played on Saturday night," said CA chief Kevin Roberts, amid concerns that the pitch could be damaged if there was a game beforehand. Adam Gilchrist will now captain one of the teams in Warne's absence with Australian Test skipper Tim Paine acting as coach. The Ponting team will be coached by Sachin Tendulkar. Other international stars taking part include Wasim Akram, Brian Lara, Courtney Walsh, and Justin Langer. Match profits will go to the Australian Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery Fund. The Sydney Sixers will face either the Melbourne Stars or Sydney Thunder in the BBL final, weather permitting.

Rain hits cricket's star-studded Australia bushfire fundraiser

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../australia-tour-of-india-virat-kohli-is-looking-for -exciting-and-competitive-series-marnus-a-threat-of-india-274046">Virat Kohli</a> has been India's leading run-scoring machine in the past decade. The Indian skipper is set to face Australia for the first One Day International at Wankhede Stadium, today.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/india-vs-australia-1st-odi-in-form-indian-team-to-take-on-confident-aussies-274112">India vs Australia, 1st ODI: In-form Indian team to take on confident Aussies</a> 
 
The 31-year-old closes onto another Indian record held by Sachin Tendulkar if the Captain scores a century in this match he will equal the Master Blaster's record of most centuries in the ODI's at home.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/3rd-t20i-ind-vs-lanka-virat-kohli-and-jasprit-bumrah-break-records-after-emphatic-victory-over-sri-lanka-273577">Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah shatter records as India claim series win against Sri Lanka</a> 
 
Sahin Tendulkar has scored 20 centuries in India, whereas Virat Kohli has scored 19 of those. Virat has just scored one century at the Wankhede stadium in ODIs, where he scored 121 runs off 125 balls against New Zealand in 2017. 
 
Virat has scored a Test double (235) against England in 2016. Sunil Gavaskar holds the record for most centuries (5) on this ground.

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Action starts in a few hours 🇮🇳🇦🇺 
Get ready for an exciting contest between two swashbuckling sides 📺📺 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvAUS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvAUS</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Paytm?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Paytm</a> <a href="https://t.co/0lSTYD2w2I">pic.twitter.com/0lSTYD2w2I</a>
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Apart from this Indian record, a world record is on the verge to be broken. Kohli has already equaled Ricky Ponting's record (41) for most centuries by a skipper across all formats. If the Indian Captain scores a century he will go past Ponting and also become the fastest to do so. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../bushfire-cricket-bash-ricky-ponting-and-shane- warne-to-come-out-of-retirement-to-raise-funds-273874">Ricky Ponting</a> scored these centuries in 376 innings whereas Virat took just 196 innings. 
 
Last time Virat scored a century was in the 'Pink-ball Test' against Bangladesh at Eden Gardens, Kolkata&nbsp;in November 2019. 
 
Virat Kohli as a captain has scored 20 Test centuries and 21 ODI centuries. 
 
Virat Kohli's Test average is 54.97, his average as a captain is significantly higher at 63.80. 
 
In ODIs, his career average is 59.84, while he averages 77.60 as captain. 
 
Indian Skipper will look forward to breaking these records as well as winning the series against the Aussies.

Virat Kohli has been India's leading run-scoring machine in the past decade. The Indian skipper is set to face Australia for the first One Day International at Wankhede Stadium, today.

Virat Kohli has been India's leading run-scoring machine in the past decade. The Indian skipper is set to face Australia for the first One Day International at Wankhede Stadium, today. Also read: India vs Australia, 1st ODI: In-form Indian team to take on confident Aussies The 31-year-old closes onto another Indian record held by Sachin Tendulkar if the Captain scores a century in this match he will equal the Master Blaster's record of most centuries in the ODI's at home. Also read: Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah shatter records as India claim series win against Sri Lanka Sahin Tendulkar has scored 20 centuries in India, whereas Virat Kohli has scored 19 of those. Virat has just scored one century at the Wankhede stadium in ODIs, where he scored 121 runs off 125 balls against New Zealand in 2017. Virat has scored a Test double (235) against England in 2016. Sunil Gavaskar holds the record for most centuries (5) on this ground. Action starts in a few hours 🇮🇳🇦🇺 Get ready for an exciting contest between two swashbuckling sides 📺📺 #TeamIndia #INDvAUS @Paytm pic.twitter.com/0lSTYD2w2I — BCCI (@BCCI) January 14, 2020 × Apart from this Indian record, a world record is on the verge to be broken. Kohli has already equaled Ricky Ponting's record (41) for most centuries by a skipper across all formats. If the Indian Captain scores a century he will go past Ponting and also become the fastest to do so. Ricky Ponting scored these centuries in 376 innings whereas Virat took just 196 innings. Last time Virat scored a century was in the 'Pink-ball Test' against Bangladesh at Eden Gardens, Kolkata in November 2019. Virat Kohli as a captain has scored 20 Test centuries and 21 ODI centuries. Virat Kohli's Test average is 54.97, his average as a captain is significantly higher at 63.80. In ODIs, his career average is 59.84, while he averages 77.60 as captain. Indian Skipper will look forward to breaking these records as well as winning the series against the Aussies.

India vs Australia, 1st ODI: Virat Kohli looks forward to equal Tendulkar's record and go past Ricky Ponting

Australia is going through one of it's worst bushfires in decades, the human death toll reached to 24 now, and it is said that a staggering number of 500 million animals have died due to these fires. Nearly 2000 houses have been destroyed.

As the damage assessment begins, donations have poured in from across the globe.

Also see:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/fierce-wildfires-fuelled-by-searing-temperatures-new-blazes-and-high-winds-in-australia-271558">Fierce wildfires fuelled by searing temperatures, high winds in Australia continue to rage</a>

Australian cricketing legends Ricky Ponting and Shane Warne have decided to temporarily come out of retirement and play a fund-raiser T20 match called the 'Bushfire Cricket Bash'. 
 
The star-studded match is going to be played as a curtain-raiser to the Big Bash League's finals which will be held on February 8. Looking at the points table where <a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../melbourne-stars-marcus-stoinis-becomes- highest-run-getter-in-big-bash-league-after-smashing-147-runs-against-sixe...">Melbourne Stars</a> and Sydney Sixers are trying to book the top spot, predictions are that the final could be played in Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) or the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/australian-bushfire-shane-warnes-baggy-green-cap-sold-for-over-a1-million-273347">Australian bushfire: Shane Warne's baggy green cap sold for over A$1 million; beats Dhoni, Bradman</a>

Shane Warne's baggy green cap broke records, he took to twitter to thank his bidder.

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Thankyou so much to everyone that placed a bid &amp; a huge Thankyou / congrats to the successful bidder - you have blown me away with your generosity and this was way beyond my expectations ! The money will go direct to the Red Cross bushfire appeal. Thankyou, Thankyou, Thankyou ❤️ <a href="https://t.co/vyVcA7NfGs">pic.twitter.com/vyVcA7NfGs</a>
— Shane Warne (@ShaneWarne) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShaneWarne/status/1215413839614763008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2020</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;These big grounds are likely to attract a massive crowd. The two teams will be led by Ricky Ponting and Shane Warne. The venue will be confirmed on January 31 after the confirmation of the Top Two finalists. 
 
It is not the first time Cricket Australia has worked for a cause, in a Boxing Day tsunami charity match in January 2005 that attracted a crowd of 70,101 to the Melbourne Cricket Ground, they&nbsp;raised A$14.5 million. 
 
The unpredictable fire rage has burnt more than 5.25 million hectares (13 million acres) of land and continues to spread despite volunteer firefighters stepping in.&nbsp;Australia's economy has faced a major setback.

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'The Bushfire Cricket Bash' is going to feature players like Justin Langer, Adam Gilchrist, Brett Lee, Shane Watson, Alex Blackwell, and Micheal Clarke. Steve Waugh and Mel Jones will be involved but in a non-playing capacity. 
 
Alex Blackwell had&nbsp;just retired months ago from the Women's Big Bash League. 
 
Australia’s women’s team will begin the day with a T20I clash against India at the Junction Oval, this contest will be followed by the Bushfire Cricket Bash, and then Big Bash League finals will be played. 
 
“It is going to be a huge and special day. It’s nice to be part of it,” Ponting told reporters on Sunday.

Australia is going through one of it's worst bushfires in decades, the human death toll reached to 24 now, and it is said that a staggering number of 500 million animals have died due to these fires.

Australia is going through one of it's worst bushfires in decades, the human death toll reached to 24 now, and it is said that a staggering number of 500 million animals have died due to these fires. Nearly 2000 houses have been destroyed. As the damage assessment begins, donations have poured in from across the globe. Also see: Fierce wildfires fuelled by searing temperatures, high winds in Australia continue to rage Australian cricketing legends Ricky Ponting and Shane Warne have decided to temporarily come out of retirement and play a fund-raiser T20 match called the 'Bushfire Cricket Bash'. The star-studded match is going to be played as a curtain-raiser to the Big Bash League's finals which will be held on February 8. Looking at the points table where Melbourne Stars and Sydney Sixers are trying to book the top spot, predictions are that the final could be played in Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) or the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). Also read: Australian bushfire: Shane Warne's baggy green cap sold for over A$1 million; beats Dhoni, Bradman Shane Warne's baggy green cap broke records, he took to twitter to thank his bidder. Thankyou so much to everyone that placed a bid & a huge Thankyou / congrats to the successful bidder - you have blown me away with your generosity and this was way beyond my expectations ! The money will go direct to the Red Cross bushfire appeal. Thankyou, Thankyou, Thankyou ❤️ pic.twitter.com/vyVcA7NfGs — Shane Warne (@ShaneWarne) January 9, 2020 × These big grounds are likely to attract a massive crowd. The two teams will be led by Ricky Ponting and Shane Warne. The venue will be confirmed on January 31 after the confirmation of the Top Two finalists. It is not the first time Cricket Australia has worked for a cause, in a Boxing Day tsunami charity match in January 2005 that attracted a crowd of 70,101 to the Melbourne Cricket Ground, they raised A$14.5 million. The unpredictable fire rage has burnt more than 5.25 million hectares (13 million acres) of land and continues to spread despite volunteer firefighters stepping in. Australia's economy has faced a major setback. × 'The Bushfire Cricket Bash' is going to feature players like Justin Langer, Adam Gilchrist, Brett Lee, Shane Watson, Alex Blackwell, and Micheal Clarke. Steve Waugh and Mel Jones will be involved but in a non-playing capacity. Alex Blackwell had just retired months ago from the Women's Big Bash League. Australia’s women’s team will begin the day with a T20I clash against India at the Junction Oval, this contest will be followed by the Bushfire Cricket Bash, and then Big Bash League finals will be played. “It is going to be a huge and special day. It’s nice to be part of it,” Ponting told reporters on Sunday.

Bushfire Cricket Bash: Ricky Ponting and Shane Warne to come out of retirement to raise funds

As India finished&nbsp;a stylish series win against Sri Lanka, skipper&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../with-proficient-run-scoring-virat-kohli-proves- why-he-is-the-king-of-the-decade-270044">Virat Kohli</a>&nbsp;and bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah have continued their dominance when it comes to setting new records.

On Friday, Virat Kohli became&nbsp;the fastest captain to record 11,000 international runs. He achieved this feat after he scored 26 runs in just 17 balls.&nbsp;

<img alt="Virat Kohli" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a3fe01d9-fae9-461a-8c51-66d3b07953be" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2814%29_7.jpg" /> 
[ Virat Kohli during 3rd T20I against Sri Lanka (Courtesy: Twitter/ @BCCI) ]

King Kohli took just 196 innings to&nbsp;break&nbsp;Ricky Ponting's record, who was the previous best in the list with 252 innings.&nbsp;

Kohli is the second Indian skipper to complete 11,000 run-mark after MS Dhoni accomplished it within 324 innings.&nbsp;

The Indian captain is overall the sixth skipper to achieve this feat. The list includes cricketing greats such as Graeme Smith (264 innings), Alan Border (316) and Stephen Fleming.

List of captains with most runs

1.) Ricky Ponting - 15440

2.) Graeme Smith - 14878

3.) Stephen Fleming - 11561

4.) MS Dhoni - 11207

5.) Allan Border - 11062

6.) Virat Kohli- 11,000+*&nbsp;

In an ongoing tussle of scoring most runs in T20Is, Virat Kohli once again surpassed his teammate Rohit Sharma to become the leading run-getter.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/we-dominated-the-series-shikhar-dhawan-india-beat-sri-lanka-to-sweep-the-series-273519">'We dominated the series,' says Shikhar Dhawan after India beat Sri Lanka to seal the series</a>

Also, frontline pacer Jasprit Bumrah became the leading wicket-taker for India in T20Is,

The 26-year old surpassed R Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal after he claimed his 53rd wicket in the very first over of Sri Lankan innings by dismissing&nbsp;Danushka Gunathilaka for just 1.

BCCI also tweeted to congratulate the bowler.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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BOOOM 💥💥 
 
Jasprit Bumrah is now the leading wicket-taker in T20Is for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> 🎯🎯 <a href="https://t.co/7PWeaq2Fyj">pic.twitter.com/7PWeaq2Fyj</a>
— BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1215681203073761280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Earlier, India thrashed Sri Lanka by 78 runs to seal the series 2-0. The first match of the series was washed out. India will now play a three-match ODI series against Australia which will begin from 14th January.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

As India finished a stylish series win against Sri Lanka, skipper Virat Kohli and bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah have continued their dominance when it comes to setting new records.

As India finished a stylish series win against Sri Lanka, skipper Virat Kohli and bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah have continued their dominance when it comes to setting new records. On Friday, Virat Kohli became the fastest captain to record 11,000 international runs. He achieved this feat after he scored 26 runs in just 17 balls. [ Virat Kohli during 3rd T20I against Sri Lanka (Courtesy: Twitter/ @BCCI) ] King Kohli took just 196 innings to break Ricky Ponting's record, who was the previous best in the list with 252 innings. Kohli is the second Indian skipper to complete 11,000 run-mark after MS Dhoni accomplished it within 324 innings. The Indian captain is overall the sixth skipper to achieve this feat. The list includes cricketing greats such as Graeme Smith (264 innings), Alan Border (316) and Stephen Fleming. List of captains with most runs 1.) Ricky Ponting - 15440 2.) Graeme Smith - 14878 3.) Stephen Fleming - 11561 4.) MS Dhoni - 11207 5.) Allan Border - 11062 6.) Virat Kohli- 11,000+* In an ongoing tussle of scoring most runs in T20Is, Virat Kohli once again surpassed his teammate Rohit Sharma to become the leading run-getter. Also read: 'We dominated the series,' says Shikhar Dhawan after India beat Sri Lanka to seal the series Also, frontline pacer Jasprit Bumrah became the leading wicket-taker for India in T20Is, The 26-year old surpassed R Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal after he claimed his 53rd wicket in the very first over of Sri Lankan innings by dismissing Danushka Gunathilaka for just 1. BCCI also tweeted to congratulate the bowler. BOOOM 💥💥 Jasprit Bumrah is now the leading wicket-taker in T20Is for #TeamIndia 🎯🎯 pic.twitter.com/7PWeaq2Fyj — BCCI (@BCCI) January 10, 2020 × Earlier, India thrashed Sri Lanka by 78 runs to seal the series 2-0. The first match of the series was washed out. India will now play a three-match ODI series against Australia which will begin from 14th January.

Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah shatter records as India claim series win against Sri Lanka

Former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting believes that Mitchell Starc will need to do something special to find a place in the playing XI for the upcoming first Test against Pakistan.

In the Ashes, Starc played just one match for the team from Down Under and managed to take six wickets.

"I absolutely love everything that Mitchell Starc brings to the table. But at the same time, they have been reluctant to play him in the last few series. He only played the one Ashes Test match and he did OK in that game," cricket.com.au quoted Ponting as saying. "I think Starc will have to do something pretty special at training to be part of that team," he added.

As Australia are slated to take on Pakistan at the Gabba in Brisbane for the first Test, Ponting brought up James Pattinson's record at the stadium and said it will go in his favour when it comes to selection.

"Pattinson's got a good record in&nbsp;Brisbane as well. That's the other thing that might go in his favour; in a place where the ball does swing a bit, he generally pitches it up and takes it away from the right-handers," he said.&nbsp;

"The reluctance to play Starc in the past has been that he has generally leaked runs," he added.

The 44-year-old Ponting also hailed Josh Hazelwood and Pat Cummins for not leaking runs and being outstanding for a consistent period.

"What we know with Hazlewood and Cummins is they are not leaking runs and they have been outstanding for a long time now. Not only are they getting guys out, but they are making it harder to score as well," Ponting said.

Australia squad for Test Series against Pakistan- Tim Paine (c), Cameron Bancroft, Joe Burns, Pat Cummins (vc), Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head (vc), Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner.

Australia and Pakistan are slated to play two Tests against each other and the second match of the series would be a day-night Test at Adelaide. The first match of the series will be played in Brisbane from November 21-25.&nbsp;

Former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting believes that Mitchell Starc will need to do something special to find a place in the playing XI for the upcoming first Test against Pakistan.

Former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting believes that Mitchell Starc will need to do something special to find a place in the playing XI for the upcoming first Test against Pakistan. In the Ashes, Starc played just one match for the team from Down Under and managed to take six wickets. "I absolutely love everything that Mitchell Starc brings to the table. But at the same time, they have been reluctant to play him in the last few series. He only played the one Ashes Test match and he did OK in that game," cricket.com.au quoted Ponting as saying. "I think Starc will have to do something pretty special at training to be part of that team," he added. As Australia are slated to take on Pakistan at the Gabba in Brisbane for the first Test, Ponting brought up James Pattinson's record at the stadium and said it will go in his favour when it comes to selection. "Pattinson's got a good record in Brisbane as well. That's the other thing that might go in his favour; in a place where the ball does swing a bit, he generally pitches it up and takes it away from the right-handers," he said. "The reluctance to play Starc in the past has been that he has generally leaked runs," he added. The 44-year-old Ponting also hailed Josh Hazelwood and Pat Cummins for not leaking runs and being outstanding for a consistent period. "What we know with Hazlewood and Cummins is they are not leaking runs and they have been outstanding for a long time now. Not only are they getting guys out, but they are making it harder to score as well," Ponting said. Australia squad for Test Series against Pakistan- Tim Paine (c), Cameron Bancroft, Joe Burns, Pat Cummins (vc), Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head (vc), Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner. Australia and Pakistan are slated to play two Tests against each other and the second match of the series would be a day-night Test at Adelaide. The first match of the series will be played in Brisbane from November 21-25.

Ricky Ponting says Mitchell Starc needs to do something 'special' to play first Test against Pak

Indian skipper <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/was-tired-when-i-reached-score-of-65-virat-kohli-tells-chahal-242487">Virat Kohli </a>on Wednesday added yet another feather in his cap as he became the first batsman to score 20,000 international runs in a single decade.

Kohli now has 20,502 runs across all three formats of the game.

Out of these 20,502, Kohli has scored 20,018 in the ongoing decade.

Earlier, Australia's former skipper Ricky Ponting held the record for scoring most international runs in a decade with 18,962 runs to his credit in the 2000s.

Former South Africa all-rounder Jacques Kallis is on the third position with 16,777 runs in the 2000s.

Former Sri Lankan players Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara are on the 4th and 5th position with 16,304 and 15,999 runs respectively.

Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar is on the sixth position with 15,962 runs in the 2000s.

Kohli went on to play an unbeaten knock of 114 against West Indies in the final ODI of the three-match series. The knock enabled the side to register a six-wicket victory over the hosts and win the series 2-0.

Kohli had made his debut for India in the IDO side in 2008 and forayed into the Test and T20I formats in 2010.

The 30-year-old had also registered a century in the second ODI of the series by scoring 120 runs. With this knock, Kohli had surpassed Sourav Ganguly to become the second-highest run-scorer for India in the ODI format.

He also became the highest run-scorer against West Indies in the ODI format. 
&nbsp;

Indian skipper Virat Kohli on Wednesday added yet another feather in his cap as he became the first batsman to score 20,000 international runs in a single decade.

Indian skipper Virat Kohli on Wednesday added yet another feather in his cap as he became the first batsman to score 20,000 international runs in a single decade. Kohli now has 20,502 runs across all three formats of the game. Out of these 20,502, Kohli has scored 20,018 in the ongoing decade. Earlier, Australia's former skipper Ricky Ponting held the record for scoring most international runs in a decade with 18,962 runs to his credit in the 2000s. Former South Africa all-rounder Jacques Kallis is on the third position with 16,777 runs in the 2000s. Former Sri Lankan players Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara are on the 4th and 5th position with 16,304 and 15,999 runs respectively. Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar is on the sixth position with 15,962 runs in the 2000s. Kohli went on to play an unbeaten knock of 114 against West Indies in the final ODI of the three-match series. The knock enabled the side to register a six-wicket victory over the hosts and win the series 2-0. Kohli had made his debut for India in the IDO side in 2008 and forayed into the Test and T20I formats in 2010. The 30-year-old had also registered a century in the second ODI of the series by scoring 120 runs. With this knock, Kohli had surpassed Sourav Ganguly to become the second-highest run-scorer for India in the ODI format. He also became the highest run-scorer against West Indies in the ODI format.

Virat Kohli becomes first batsman to score 20,000 international runs in a decade

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting lavishly praised 'experienced guy'&nbsp;Steve Smith and said that it would be silly if Tim Paine does not use him on the field to strategise the game.&nbsp;

"I read a bit of that stuff this morning, with people online going on about the fact he shouldn`t be doing it because he's not captain. That's an absolute load of rubbish. He's not captain. He's not tossing the coin and he's not picking the team. But an experienced guy like him with a cricket brain that he's got, Tim would be silly to not try and tap into that and not try to use him when he can," Cricket.com.au quoted Ponting as saying.

Ponting's comments came in after Smith was seen offering advice to bowlers and discussing with Paine on numerous occasions during the first Ashes Test match. Smith is not allowed to be the team's captain until March 2020 because of his involvement in the last year's ball-tampering scandal.

Ponting said that the team relies on Smith heavily.

"He's served his time as far as his playing suspension goes and everyone knows he can't captain again until next year. He's part of a team that is relying on him heavily for his experience, so he can help in whichever way and wherever he possibly can," he said.

Ponting further said,&nbsp;"And I'm sure if Painey or anyone around the team wasn't happy with it, then it wouldn't be happening."&nbsp;

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting lavishly praised 'experienced guy' Steve Smith and said that it would be silly if Tim Paine does not use him on the field to strategise the game.

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting lavishly praised 'experienced guy' Steve Smith and said that it would be silly if Tim Paine does not use him on the field to strategise the game. "I read a bit of that stuff this morning, with people online going on about the fact he shouldn`t be doing it because he's not captain. That's an absolute load of rubbish. He's not captain. He's not tossing the coin and he's not picking the team. But an experienced guy like him with a cricket brain that he's got, Tim would be silly to not try and tap into that and not try to use him when he can," Cricket.com.au quoted Ponting as saying. Ponting's comments came in after Smith was seen offering advice to bowlers and discussing with Paine on numerous occasions during the first Ashes Test match. Smith is not allowed to be the team's captain until March 2020 because of his involvement in the last year's ball-tampering scandal. Ponting said that the team relies on Smith heavily. "He's served his time as far as his playing suspension goes and everyone knows he can't captain again until next year. He's part of a team that is relying on him heavily for his experience, so he can help in whichever way and wherever he possibly can," he said. Ponting further said, "And I'm sure if Painey or anyone around the team wasn't happy with it, then it wouldn't be happening."

Ricky Ponting feels Tim Paine should use Steve Smith's experience

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has called for cricket to ditch its requirement for neutral umpires in the wake of a slew of poor decisions that blighted the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ashes-2019-eng-v-aus-first-test-day-one-smith-ton-takes-australia-to-284-all-out-in-first-ashes-test-240025">opening day of the Ashes series</a>.

Umpires Aleem Dar and Joel Wilson drew widespread criticism after a rocky day one at Edgbaston on Friday, with a number of their calls over-turned by the decision review system after Australia elected to bat.

English and Australian umpires dominate the ICC's elite umpires panel but are ruled out of officiating the Ashes due to the global cricket's requirement for neutral nation umpires to control matches.

"I would like to think the game has come far enough now for the game to not have neutral umpires,” Ponting told Cricket Australia's website (cricket.com.au).

"People might say that with all the technology we’ve got now, it doesn’t matter that much.

"But it’s not a good spectacle when pretty obviously wrong decisions are made.

"There’s been a lot a negativity about the DRS over the years, but we’re pretty lucky that we had it last night."

Ponting, part of the Cricket Committee at the MCC, the custodians of the Laws of Cricket, said he would raise the matter at the next MCC meeting.

"It's already been spoken about a lot among the players," he said.

"If it's not brought up, I'll make sure it's added to the agenda.

"Surely (English umpire) Richard Kettleborough and the like would want to be umpiring the best series.

"The best umpires can end up missing out on all the big tournaments.

"It could force umpires into retirement a bit early."

Australia were bowled out for 284, with England 10 for no loss at stumps.

Umpiring standards were put in the spotlight after the World Cup final between England and New Zealand at Lord's last month, with Ben Stokes erroneously awarded an extra run by the standing umpires in the 50th over of the home side's chase.

England went on to win the match by total boundaries scored after a tied Super Over.

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has called for cricket to ditch its requirement for neutral umpires in the wake of a slew of poor decisions that blighted the opening day of the Ashes series.

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has called for cricket to ditch its requirement for neutral umpires in the wake of a slew of poor decisions that blighted the opening day of the Ashes series. Umpires Aleem Dar and Joel Wilson drew widespread criticism after a rocky day one at Edgbaston on Friday, with a number of their calls over-turned by the decision review system after Australia elected to bat. English and Australian umpires dominate the ICC's elite umpires panel but are ruled out of officiating the Ashes due to the global cricket's requirement for neutral nation umpires to control matches. "I would like to think the game has come far enough now for the game to not have neutral umpires,” Ponting told Cricket Australia's website (cricket.com.au). "People might say that with all the technology we’ve got now, it doesn’t matter that much. "But it’s not a good spectacle when pretty obviously wrong decisions are made. "There’s been a lot a negativity about the DRS over the years, but we’re pretty lucky that we had it last night." Ponting, part of the Cricket Committee at the MCC, the custodians of the Laws of Cricket, said he would raise the matter at the next MCC meeting. "It's already been spoken about a lot among the players," he said. "If it's not brought up, I'll make sure it's added to the agenda. "Surely (English umpire) Richard Kettleborough and the like would want to be umpiring the best series. "The best umpires can end up missing out on all the big tournaments. "It could force umpires into retirement a bit early." Australia were bowled out for 284, with England 10 for no loss at stumps. Umpiring standards were put in the spotlight after the World Cup final between England and New Zealand at Lord's last month, with Ben Stokes erroneously awarded an extra run by the standing umpires in the 50th over of the home side's chase. England went on to win the match by total boundaries scored after a tied Super Over.

Re-think neutral umpires, Ricky Ponting says after Ashes debacle

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting believes England's success in their home World Cup may bode ill for Australia's hopes of retaining the Ashes.

England knocked Australia out of the semi-finals with an <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/england-thrash-australia-by-eight-wickets-to-reach-world-cup-final-235127">emphatic eight-wicket win</a> and another over New Zealand in Sunday's final will see the hosts head into next month's five-Test Ashes series with significant momentum.

"It probably does, to be honest," Ponting said, when asked whether England's 50-over success could spill over.

"The country will be on a bit of a wave and a bit of a high, the players will certainly be on a huge high after that World Cup.

"But who knows if they don't (win), it might have an adverse effect on their Ashes campaign as well.

"You can take lots of things from different series.

"It's a completely different series going into an Ashes and there will be quite a few different players in their Test team than will be in this one-day team. They'll have different captains as well.

"But I'm sure if they happen to win the World Cup, they'll take as much as they can from it going into the Ashes."

Australia hold the urn after thrashing England 4-0 on home soil in the 2017-18 Ashes.

The first Ashes Test starts at Edgbaston on August&nbsp;1.

Ponting, hired as an assistant coach to Justin Langer for Australia's World Cup campaign, watched Aaron Finch's side fall to South Africa and England in successive matches to bow out of the tournament after they had been the first side to book their place in the semi-finals.

Injuries did not help Australia's cause and Ponting was not prepared to wear the blame for the side's tactical preparations.

"Tactically, I think we got things right. Personnel-wise, we picked the best team that we could for every game," Ponting told Cricket Australia's website (cricket.com.au).

"Unusually for Australian teams in World Cups, we played our worst cricket in the most critical moments.

"That'll be the thing that gets spoken about the most and see if there's any reason behind it."

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting believes England's success in their home World Cup may bode ill for Australia's hopes of retaining the Ashes. England knocked Australia out of the semi-finals with an emphatic eight-wicket win and another over New Zealand in Sunday's final will see the hosts head into next month's five-Test Ashes series with significant momentum.

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting believes England's success in their home World Cup may bode ill for Australia's hopes of retaining the Ashes. England knocked Australia out of the semi-finals with an emphatic eight-wicket win and another over New Zealand in Sunday's final will see the hosts head into next month's five-Test Ashes series with significant momentum. "It probably does, to be honest," Ponting said, when asked whether England's 50-over success could spill over. "The country will be on a bit of a wave and a bit of a high, the players will certainly be on a huge high after that World Cup. "But who knows if they don't (win), it might have an adverse effect on their Ashes campaign as well. "You can take lots of things from different series. "It's a completely different series going into an Ashes and there will be quite a few different players in their Test team than will be in this one-day team. They'll have different captains as well. "But I'm sure if they happen to win the World Cup, they'll take as much as they can from it going into the Ashes." Australia hold the urn after thrashing England 4-0 on home soil in the 2017-18 Ashes. The first Ashes Test starts at Edgbaston on August 1. Ponting, hired as an assistant coach to Justin Langer for Australia's World Cup campaign, watched Aaron Finch's side fall to South Africa and England in successive matches to bow out of the tournament after they had been the first side to book their place in the semi-finals. Injuries did not help Australia's cause and Ponting was not prepared to wear the blame for the side's tactical preparations. "Tactically, I think we got things right. Personnel-wise, we picked the best team that we could for every game," Ponting told Cricket Australia's website (cricket.com.au). "Unusually for Australian teams in World Cups, we played our worst cricket in the most critical moments. "That'll be the thing that gets spoken about the most and see if there's any reason behind it."

England could bring World Cup high into Ashes, says Ricky Ponting

David Warner has overcome the challenges of reintegrating himself into the Australian team and with the explosive opener nearing his best, he could well end up as top scorer in this World Cup, feels assistant coach Ricky Ponting.

After struggling for rhythm in early matches, Warner came close to his damaging best in a match-winning knock of 107 off 111 balls against Pakistan on Wednesday in his fourth game back in Australian colours.

The 32-year-old right-handed batsman sat out for one year, serving a ban imposed by the ICC on ball tampering charges in South Africa last year.

He came out of that ban on March 29, along with his former captain Steve Smith.

Asked if other sides will now be more fearful of Warner, including Sri Lankans whom <a href="http://cms.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-pat-cummins-silent-workhorse-in-australias-squad-while-others-hog-limelight-226914">Australia </a>face on Friday, Ponting said,&nbsp;"I think they should. You know with David Warner at his best, if you miss your line and length then he's going to make you pay.''

"Every game is a different set of challenges for every player. Davey capitalised on Pakistan not executing as well as they could have. We know against Sri Lanka, they'll be well-planned. But <a href="http://cms.wionews.com/sports/this-century-means-a-lot-as-a-batsman-david-warner-226679">Warner </a>at his best is difficult to bowl to and I think he was back to somewhere near his best," Ponting was quoted as saying by 'cricket.Com.Au'

Ponting said the handbrake is off for a rejuvenated Warner and if "he keeps playing like that (against Pakistan) for the rest of the tournament, he's probably going to be the leading run scorer" in this World Cup.

The assistant coach, however, conceded that the challenges of reintegrating himself back into a team after being out of it for over a year weighed on Warner.

"We'd all seen that he (Warner) probably had not been batting as fluently as we're used to seeing. It was more of a mental thing than anything, he was just holding back a little bit and not playing with the freedom we're used to seeing him play with," Ponting said.

"It was just about being a bit freer in everything he did. I think he was just trying a bit too hard, making a statement coming back in a World Cup. Wanting to do everything right and impress everybody rather than just going out and hitting the ball and scoring runs like we've seen him do for 10 years," he said.&nbsp;

Ponting said Warner in earlier matches (before the match against Pakistan) seemed a little bit more worried about getting out than scoring runs but he was told by the <a href="http://cms.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-allan-border-backs-defending-champs-australia-to-keep-building-momentum-226766">Australian </a>support staff to just go out, see the ball and hit the ball.

"We said to him after the last game, 'mate, just go out and see the ball, hit the ball.' He got off to a good start (against Pakistan) and continued on for 30 or 40 overs," Ponting, who spoke to Warner after Australia's 36-run defeat to India on June 9, said.&nbsp;

"You could see by the way he moved into his shots and picking up the length early, he hit a lot of pull shots early in his innings, which is always a good sign for him. He'd taken the handbrake off which has allowed himself to play with a bit more freedom," the former captain said of Warner's innings against Pakistan.

David Warner has overcome the challenges of reintegrating himself into the Australian team and with the explosive opener nearing his best, he could well end up as top scorer in this World Cup, feels assistant coach Ricky Ponting.

David Warner has overcome the challenges of reintegrating himself into the Australian team and with the explosive opener nearing his best, he could well end up as top scorer in this World Cup, feels assistant coach Ricky Ponting. After struggling for rhythm in early matches, Warner came close to his damaging best in a match-winning knock of 107 off 111 balls against Pakistan on Wednesday in his fourth game back in Australian colours. The 32-year-old right-handed batsman sat out for one year, serving a ban imposed by the ICC on ball tampering charges in South Africa last year. He came out of that ban on March 29, along with his former captain Steve Smith. Asked if other sides will now be more fearful of Warner, including Sri Lankans whom Australia face on Friday, Ponting said, "I think they should. You know with David Warner at his best, if you miss your line and length then he's going to make you pay.'' "Every game is a different set of challenges for every player. Davey capitalised on Pakistan not executing as well as they could have. We know against Sri Lanka, they'll be well-planned. But Warner at his best is difficult to bowl to and I think he was back to somewhere near his best," Ponting was quoted as saying by 'cricket.Com.Au' Ponting said the handbrake is off for a rejuvenated Warner and if "he keeps playing like that (against Pakistan) for the rest of the tournament, he's probably going to be the leading run scorer" in this World Cup. The assistant coach, however, conceded that the challenges of reintegrating himself back into a team after being out of it for over a year weighed on Warner. "We'd all seen that he (Warner) probably had not been batting as fluently as we're used to seeing. It was more of a mental thing than anything, he was just holding back a little bit and not playing with the freedom we're used to seeing him play with," Ponting said. "It was just about being a bit freer in everything he did. I think he was just trying a bit too hard, making a statement coming back in a World Cup. Wanting to do everything right and impress everybody rather than just going out and hitting the ball and scoring runs like we've seen him do for 10 years," he said. Ponting said Warner in earlier matches (before the match against Pakistan) seemed a little bit more worried about getting out than scoring runs but he was told by the Australian support staff to just go out, see the ball and hit the ball. "We said to him after the last game, 'mate, just go out and see the ball, hit the ball.' He got off to a good start (against Pakistan) and continued on for 30 or 40 overs," Ponting, who spoke to Warner after Australia's 36-run defeat to India on June 9, said. "You could see by the way he moved into his shots and picking up the length early, he hit a lot of pull shots early in his innings, which is always a good sign for him. He'd taken the handbrake off which has allowed himself to play with a bit more freedom," the former captain said of Warner's innings against Pakistan.

World Cup: Beware of David Warner as he is nearing his best, says Ricky Ponting

After Australia faced their first defeat in the ongoing ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, team's assistant coach Ricky Ponting admitted that it was their batting which was not up to the mark.

"Our batting was just a little bit off again. We seemed to find the field a lot in the first 10 overs," Cricket.com.au quoted Ponting as saying.

Chasing a mammoth<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-shikhar-dhawan-shines-as-india-beat-holders-australia-by-36-runs-225791"> target of 353 runs set by India</a>, Australia skipper Aaron Finch, who opened the inning with David Warner, got run out in the 14th over after scoring 36 runs.

Ponting feels that Finch's run out happened at a really crucial time as the team had just started to get momentum.

"The run out happened at a really crucial time (the 14th over). The momentum had just started to turn there, Finchy had started to find the boundary a bit more frequently," he said.

India opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan hammered a ton while the skipper <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-had-a-point-to-prove-against-australia-says-virat-kohli-225792">Virat Kohli</a> also added 82 runs on the board to help their side post a big target for Australia.

Ponting stated that they also needed a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-shikhar-dhawan-ruled-out-for-three-weeks-due-to-injury-226202">Dhawan</a>-like inning in their top-order and that would have had put them in the game.

"We just needed someone at the top to go on and make a big hundred like Dhawan did and we would have been right in the game," Ponting said.

Despite all this, Ponting still has full faith in both the openers as he said,&nbsp;"Finch and Warner are probably as good as openers in the world. Finchy has turned things around really well in the last five or six months, Davey coming back has made runs. By his own admission today, (Warner) probably wasn't at his absolute best. He hit the field too often early on and wasn't able to rotate as he would have liked."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-steve-smiths-reaction-when-virat-kohli-stopped-indian-fans-from-booing-him-225897">Steve Smith</a> came out to bat before Usman Khawaja and Ponting backed this decision by saying that they wanted a right-hand, left-hand combination during India's perilous spin attack.

"We wanted to have (favourable) left-hand, right-hand (match-ups) with those spinners and we thought Steven plays spin as well as anybody, so that was the only reason. It happens quite a lot in the modern game where you see that right-hand, left-hand combination, especially if they've got a lot of spin," he said.

After Australia faced their first defeat in the ongoing ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, team's assistant coach Ricky Ponting admitted that it was their batting which was not up to the mark.

After Australia faced their first defeat in the ongoing ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, team's assistant coach Ricky Ponting admitted that it was their batting which was not up to the mark. "Our batting was just a little bit off again. We seemed to find the field a lot in the first 10 overs," Cricket.com.au quoted Ponting as saying. Chasing a mammoth target of 353 runs set by India, Australia skipper Aaron Finch, who opened the inning with David Warner, got run out in the 14th over after scoring 36 runs. Ponting feels that Finch's run out happened at a really crucial time as the team had just started to get momentum. "The run out happened at a really crucial time (the 14th over). The momentum had just started to turn there, Finchy had started to find the boundary a bit more frequently," he said. India opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan hammered a ton while the skipper Virat Kohli also added 82 runs on the board to help their side post a big target for Australia. Ponting stated that they also needed a Dhawan-like inning in their top-order and that would have had put them in the game. "We just needed someone at the top to go on and make a big hundred like Dhawan did and we would have been right in the game," Ponting said. Despite all this, Ponting still has full faith in both the openers as he said, "Finch and Warner are probably as good as openers in the world. Finchy has turned things around really well in the last five or six months, Davey coming back has made runs. By his own admission today, (Warner) probably wasn't at his absolute best. He hit the field too often early on and wasn't able to rotate as he would have liked." Steve Smith came out to bat before Usman Khawaja and Ponting backed this decision by saying that they wanted a right-hand, left-hand combination during India's perilous spin attack. "We wanted to have (favourable) left-hand, right-hand (match-ups) with those spinners and we thought Steven plays spin as well as anybody, so that was the only reason. It happens quite a lot in the modern game where you see that right-hand, left-hand combination, especially if they've got a lot of spin," he said.

World Cup: 'Our batting was little bit off', says Ricky Ponting after Australia's defeat against India

Australia assistant coach Ricky Ponting is impressed with all-rounder Marcus Stoinis'&nbsp;ability to bowl overs at the death and expressed his confidence that the all-rounder can have a big impact on this World Cup.

"I just like the overall package with him. He's probably our best outfielder, you saw what he can do with the ball at the death, he gives us another string to our bow as far as his death bowling is concerned. The boys love what he brings to the side. I'm working with him a lot on a daily basis and I think he can have a big impact on this World Cup," Cricket.com.au quoted Ponting as saying.

Stoinis has displayed a brilliant form with the ball so far, as he took two wickets in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-record-breaking-mitchell-starc-becomes-fastest-to-150-odi-wickets-225244">Australia's </a>opening match against Afghanistan while giving away just 37 runs from his seven overs.

He continued his form in the second match as well.

Despite not being able to clinch a wicket, Stoinis conceded just 18 runs from his four overs against <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/umpiring-decisions-sent-ripples-through-the-dressing-room-brathwaite-after-australia-defeat-225114">West Indies</a>.

However, Stoinis has unable to leave a mark on the field with his batting skills.

He has batted just once in this tournament so far and scored 19 runs.

Therefore, Ponting said he is working with Stoinis to improve his batting.

"If there's been a knock on his batting, it's been that he's been a bit of a shaky nervous starter and takes a lot of balls to get moving. (Against the West Indies) he didn't (look nervous) ... he was nice and sharp. He hit the ball nicely down the ground, he hit a really good pull shot early on. I had a chat to him just after he got out and he was pretty disappointed to get out the way he did. We've been doing a lot of work on that sort of stuff with his batting," he said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/australia-beat-west-indies-by-15-runs-in-world-cup-225096">Australia </a>have won both of their first two World Cup matches and now they will <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/key-battles-in-india-vs-australia-cricket-world-cup-clash-225419">compete with India </a>on June 9.&nbsp;

Australia assistant coach Ricky Ponting is impressed with all-rounder Marcus Stoinis' ability to bowl overs at the death and expressed his confidence that the all-rounder can have a big impact on this World Cup.

Australia assistant coach Ricky Ponting is impressed with all-rounder Marcus Stoinis' ability to bowl overs at the death and expressed his confidence that the all-rounder can have a big impact on this World Cup. "I just like the overall package with him. He's probably our best outfielder, you saw what he can do with the ball at the death, he gives us another string to our bow as far as his death bowling is concerned. The boys love what he brings to the side. I'm working with him a lot on a daily basis and I think he can have a big impact on this World Cup," Cricket.com.au quoted Ponting as saying. Stoinis has displayed a brilliant form with the ball so far, as he took two wickets in Australia's opening match against Afghanistan while giving away just 37 runs from his seven overs. He continued his form in the second match as well. Despite not being able to clinch a wicket, Stoinis conceded just 18 runs from his four overs against West Indies. However, Stoinis has unable to leave a mark on the field with his batting skills. He has batted just once in this tournament so far and scored 19 runs. Therefore, Ponting said he is working with Stoinis to improve his batting. "If there's been a knock on his batting, it's been that he's been a bit of a shaky nervous starter and takes a lot of balls to get moving. (Against the West Indies) he didn't (look nervous) ... he was nice and sharp. He hit the ball nicely down the ground, he hit a really good pull shot early on. I had a chat to him just after he got out and he was pretty disappointed to get out the way he did. We've been doing a lot of work on that sort of stuff with his batting," he said. Australia have won both of their first two World Cup matches and now they will compete with India on June 9.

World Cup: Ricky Ponting says Marcus Stoinis is 'best outfielder' in Australia squad

Former skipper <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/in-pontings-presence-australian-players-are-like-8-year-old-girls-around-justin-bieber-aaron-finch-220146&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwisltq6qrHiAhXP73MBHUEnAMAQFjAAegQIBRAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw1UAs8xmaiFGkHjh-jHuKsG">Ricky Ponting</a> believes defending champion Australia's ability to bowl and play spin will define their success in the upcoming World Cup beginning May 30.

"The thing that will define <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/we-will-play-on-our-strengths-in-world-cup-says-australias-wicket-keeper-alex-carey-219622&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwisltq6qrHiAhXP73MBHUEnAMAQFjABegQIEBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw00WvCT5dwEo-p1MyjWa2J_">Australia's success in the World Cup</a> is, one, how well they bowl spin and, two, how well they play it," Ponting was quoted as saying by the 'Sydney Morning Herald'.

"That's been their Achilles' heel the last 12 or 18 months. With (Adam)&nbsp;Zampa bowling well now, Nathan Lyon's obviously in the squad and Glenn Maxwell's done a good job with the ball whenever he's played", Ponting said.

Ponting said there were concerns about the middle-order's ability to play spin a year ago but the return of David Warner and Steve Smith has strengthened the team.

"And I think some of our middle order are probably slightly better players of spin now than they were 12 or 18 months ago," said the 44-year-old, who won Australia the 1999 World Cup as a player, before guiding the team to successive titles in the next two editions as a captain.

"With Warner there now and Steve Smith coming back in, the middle order looks a lot better against spin bowling than it probably was", he added.

Warner and Smith had served a 12-month ban for their respective roles in the ball-tampering scandal that rocked Australian cricket in March last year.

They returned to competitive cricket at the Indian Premier League with Warner amassing 692 runs in 12 matches and Smith scoring 319 runs in 12 matches and leading Rajasthan Royals to three wins in five matches.

"They're both playing really well. Steve Smith still thinks he's not probably 100 per cent fit just yet - but he's not far away. And Warner's been the dominant batsman in the IPL," Ponting said.

There are concerns that Smith and Warner will be targeted by the crowd during the World Cup with English cricketer Moeen Ali urging the spectators to treat them with respect.

"Those two coming in, obviously they're class players - they'll have their fair share of issues to deal with from the crowds and stuff when they get over there," he said.

"But they're big boys. They've been there and seen it all before. I'm sure they'll be fine", Ponting added.&nbsp;

Australia will begin their campaign against Afghanistan on June 1 at Bristol.&nbsp;

Former skipper Ricky Ponting believes defending champion Australia's ability to bowl and play spin will define their success in the upcoming World Cup beginning May 30.

Former skipper Ricky Ponting believes defending champion Australia's ability to bowl and play spin will define their success in the upcoming World Cup beginning May 30. "The thing that will define Australia's success in the World Cup is, one, how well they bowl spin and, two, how well they play it," Ponting was quoted as saying by the 'Sydney Morning Herald'. "That's been their Achilles' heel the last 12 or 18 months. With (Adam) Zampa bowling well now, Nathan Lyon's obviously in the squad and Glenn Maxwell's done a good job with the ball whenever he's played", Ponting said. Ponting said there were concerns about the middle-order's ability to play spin a year ago but the return of David Warner and Steve Smith has strengthened the team. "And I think some of our middle order are probably slightly better players of spin now than they were 12 or 18 months ago," said the 44-year-old, who won Australia the 1999 World Cup as a player, before guiding the team to successive titles in the next two editions as a captain. "With Warner there now and Steve Smith coming back in, the middle order looks a lot better against spin bowling than it probably was", he added. Warner and Smith had served a 12-month ban for their respective roles in the ball-tampering scandal that rocked Australian cricket in March last year. They returned to competitive cricket at the Indian Premier League with Warner amassing 692 runs in 12 matches and Smith scoring 319 runs in 12 matches and leading Rajasthan Royals to three wins in five matches. "They're both playing really well. Steve Smith still thinks he's not probably 100 per cent fit just yet - but he's not far away. And Warner's been the dominant batsman in the IPL," Ponting said. There are concerns that Smith and Warner will be targeted by the crowd during the World Cup with English cricketer Moeen Ali urging the spectators to treat them with respect. "Those two coming in, obviously they're class players - they'll have their fair share of issues to deal with from the crowds and stuff when they get over there," he said. "But they're big boys. They've been there and seen it all before. I'm sure they'll be fine", Ponting added. Australia will begin their campaign against Afghanistan on June 1 at Bristol.

Ricky Ponting: How Australia bowl and play spin will define their success in World Cup 2019

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