IND v AUS 2020: Ricky Ponting predicts Prithvi Shaw’s exact mode of dismissal a ball before he gets out
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting predicted Prithvi Shaw’s exact mode of dismissal just a ball before the Indian opener was castled by Mitchell Starc on Day 1 of the pink-ball Test at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday (December 17).
Ricky Ponting was in the commentary box for 7Cricket when Prithvi Shaw and Mayank Agarwal came out to open the innings after Virat Kohli called it right at the toss.
Ponting, who is the head coach of the Delhi Capitals, shed light on Prithvi Shaw’s tendency to leave a gap between his bat and pad while playing incoming deliveries.
“If he does have a chink in his armour, it’s the ball which does come back into him,” Ponting, who has worked closely with Prithvi Shaw in the IPL, said after the latter defended Starc’s first ball which pitched on a good length and went on with the angle.
“He’s very comfortable playing the ball away from his body. He does get his head in line with the ball but he doesn’t commit his front foot to the line of the ball and quite often leaves a big gap between bat and pad and that’s where the Aussies will target,” Ponting added just as Starc began his run-up for the second ball of the Test match.
And Ricky Ponting’s analysis came true. Prithvi Shaw tried to drive the ball - which was pitched on a slightly fuller length outside off stump - on the up without moving his feet. He saw the ball catch the inside edge of his bat and crash into the stumps. The 21-year-old's last five Test scores read 16, 14, 54, 14, and a duck today.
Prithvi Shaw’s wicket leaves India on the back foot at dinner
After losing Prithvi Shaw off just the second ball of the Test match, both Mayank Agarwal and Cheteshwar Pujara were extremely circumspect, as they blunted the new pink ball for 107 deliveries to put on 32 runs.
The breakthrough, however, came off the first ball after a drinks break. Pat Cummins got the ball to nip back and go through Agarwal’s (17 off 40) bat and pad to breach his defense and hit the stumps.
Indian captain Virat Kohli (5* off 22) and Cheteshwar Pujara (17* off 88) have since looked extremely cautious and made sure India went into the dinner break on 41 for 2.