It was always going to happen. I knew it would happen and so did every other person who has been a Ricky Ponting fan through the tough times and the good times. Ponting ended his two-year century drought in Sydney and has continued that amazing form throughout this series. In doing so he has silenced his critics and proved that he still has some test cricket left.
Prior to this series, Ponting’s last century was a double hundred against Pakistan in Hobart in January 2010. The drought could’ve been longer had the ball not been dropped on nought by Mohammed Aamer in that innings. What followed was an unexplainable drop in form, which reached boiling point after failures against New Zealand, Pakistan, England, South Africa and Sri Lanka.
During this time Ponting averaged a dismal 27.48 and only managed seven 50s in 30 innings. Everyone was on his back. You couldn’t help but cringe at every harmless dismissal, plunging him deeper into lower credibility. But you can’t let legends go that easy. As much as the majority of Australians thought he should’ve gone ages ago, Ricky Ponting is a legend of the game of cricket and as such deserves every accolade he gets.
The questions were constantly being raised during his dry spell, questioning his ability as captain let alone his batting. There were accusations; not putting the team first. But he had much to offer to this young developing squad, there was no way he would be letting go of his stellar career.
He did the admirable thing and gave up the captaincy to his long-time assistant Michael Clarke who has done an outstanding job since taking the reins. But the pressure continued to rise as he continued to fail even without the pressure of captaincy and a move down the batting order.
There was never a doubt he was working his butt off trying to be the best for his team, his teammates constantly denied he was in risk of being dropped, and there’s no doubt that the advice he gives to the younger team members is invaluable.
To him (Ponting) it was just a form slump, but from the outside many could tell that his technique was starting to fail as well. His infamous falling-across-the-stumps shots were getting worse as he was given out LBW nine times in 30 innings.
He was losing confidence in himself and the public was losing confidence in him.
When the Argus review was brought out and the new coaching staff brought in, it was a chance to turn-over a new leaf for the whole squad. A number of new players were drafted in, the likes of James Pattinson, Nathan Lyon, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Ed Cowan, and David Warner were included and so was another person, a brand new Ricky Ponting.
Well maybe he’s not brand new, just fresher? The way he has played this summer is no different to what we were used to seeing in the years that he dominated every single bowling attack in the world.
This summer he is back to his blistering best, averaging 80.37 against NZ and India, finally scoring that long awaited hundred in Sydney and following it up with a double-hundred in Adelaide.
The man is a champion in every form of the word and I know.
Jacques Kallis, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid have led the way in the last two-years with resurgences and world dominating performances as the end of their careers loom large.
Call me a silly optimist or a blind follower but I think Ricky can do it.
By Adam Bonner
