"He always predicts wrong" - Fans react to Ricky Ponting's prediction of Border-Gavaskar Trophy result
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has predicted the Border-Gavaskar Trophy's result 3-1 in favor of his country. Ponting said that the Aussies will have to prove themselves after losing back-to-back Test series (by a 2-1 margin on both occasions) against India at home but reckons they will be third-time lucky.
The 49-year-old believes that the five-match Test series is more likely to yield a result as compared to a four-game series on the previous occasions, adding that one of the games might be drawn subject to weather conditions.
Ponting told ICC on Tuesday, August 13:
"It's going to be a competitive series and as I said I think Australia's got a bit of a point to prove against India in Australia on the back of what's happened the last the last two series here.
"We are back to five Tests as well, which is the other really important thing about this series. It’s only been four Tests the last couple of times. Five tests, I think everyone's really excited by that and I don't know if there'd be too many drawn games.
He added:
"I'm obviously going to tip Australia to win and I'm never going to tip against Australia. There will be a draw somewhere and there will be some bad weather somewhere, so I'm going to say 3-1 to Australia."
Fans on X came up with contrasting reactions to Ricky Ponting's prediction for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. One user wrote:
"He always predicts wrong."
Another user wrote:
"Yeah we need this kind of things before the series so our boys can charged up."
A third user added:
"No more IPL coach - so bold predication this time."
Here are a few more reactions:
“There could be a good chance" - Ricky Ponting predicted clean sweep for Australia in 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy
Ricky Ponting had predicted a clean sweep for Australia during the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The visitors, however, won the Test series 2-1 under stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane.
That came after regular skipper Virat Kohli left the series for the birth of his daughter Vamika following the first Test humiliation in Adelaide, where India were all out for 36 runs (second innings), losing the game by eight wickets. The visitors beat Australia by eight wickets and three wickets in Melbourne and Brisbane, respectively.
Ricky Ponting told cricket.com.au (via Hindustan Times) at the time:
“With Kohli not being there as well there’s almost no-one to pick them back up after a loss like that. I am sure but there’s one thing to make selection changes there’s another to lift the spirits back up again and make sure they’re mentally right for the next challenge because the Australians are not going to go away now."
“There could be a good chance (of a sweep). Let’s hope we do get a result in Melbourne and if we do, I think India are going to find it really hard to bounce back and win a game," he added.
The Border-Gavaskar Trophy will be played from November to January.