Abu Dhabi: Ricky Ponting insists Australia’s fervent patriotism can make them “competitive” on the tour of India later this month, although he concedes “they will struggle to win”.
The former Australia captain was part of the last team from Down Under to triumph in India in a 2-1 series victory in 2004.
But they were walloped 4-0 on their most recent visit four years ago and are expected to toil again against the world’s top-ranked Test side, who are formidable in spin-friendly conditions at home.
“Like most teams that go there, I think they will struggle to win,” the legendary former batsman Ponting told Gulf News in an exclusive interview at the Park Hyatt hotel on Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, on Monday.
The last time India lost a home Test was against England at the end of 2012 and Virat Kohli’s side have won their last five series to climb to the top of the Test rankings. South Africa, New Zealand and England have all lost series in India in the last 15 months.
“It’s a hard place to go and play,” continued Ponting, who played 168 Tests for Australia between 1995 and 2012 and captained his country between 2004 and 2011.
“I’d never write an Australian team off because I know how much [the players] care about playing for Australia and I know how big a hurdle it is to try and win a series in India. I think the last Australian team to win there was in 2004.”
Ponting, who was taking part in the Gary Player Invitational golf event at the Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, believes the daunting tour will be a useful learning curve for Steve Smith’s youthful team. The 42-year-old, who is second on the all-time Test run-scorers’ list behind Indian great Sachin Tendulkar with 13,378 runs, said: “There are some young players in this team that will learn from this experience. I think all anyone in Australia can ask is if they are ultra competitive and they trust their natural style and instincts and learn along the way.
“If they do that, then I’m sure they will be competitive.”
The first Test starts in Pune on February 23 and is followed by matches in Bengaluru, Ranchi and Dharamsala.
