I think a drawn series will be worse than the loss a couple of years ago: Ricky Ponting

Team India has shown great resilience and valiance throughout the four-match Border Gavaskar Trophy. The team has been marred with a truckload of injuries with Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara being the only two players to feature in all four games. Despite this India has fought hard and all the new-comers have shown their character as the series is leveled at 1-1 with the visitors needing to chase a whopping 324 runs on Day 5 to win the last Test at Gabba and retain the prestigious Trophy.

Speaking about the marquee series between two cricketing superpowers, former Australian captain Ricky Ponting reckoned that the hosts need to win this series anyhow as even a draw will be worse than their previous defeat at home in 2018-19 Border Gavaskar Trophy. Ricky believes that a drawn series will be a shame for Australia considering that they are with their full strength while India is playing with mostly new players.

“I think a drawn series will be worse than the loss a couple of years ago. That’s the way I look at it, considering how hard India have found it going through 20 players in a series, (Australia) having (David) Warner back for the last couple of games, (Steve) Smith back for all them that they didn’t have last time around. A draw would not only feel like a loss to them but be a worse result than the last series,” Ponting told cricket.com.au.

The first hour of play will be the most important for India: Ricky Ponting

The 46-year-old believes that the hosts are favourites to win the last Test and the series as though they have given a tough fight thus far, they ought to have a bad day with so many injuries and setbacks. “India’s resilience has got to give up at some stage. They can’t keep doing what they’ve been doing, being so resilient, and tomorrow it might be that day.

“The last day of the series, potentially playing for another draw, I’ve just got a feeling that something’s got to give. And Australia, on the other hand, they know they have to go flat out and give everything to win the series,” he added.

Speaking about India’s batting order, the Australian veteran stated that the only way for India to chase a massive total of 324 runs is that the openers provide a good start and young power-hitter Rishabh Pant is promoted up the order because India needs to be constantly behind the run-rate.

“The first hour of play will be the most important for them. Not if they don’t lose wickets, they have to actually get away and start scoring reasonably quickly. Rohit and Gill have every chance to get them off to a good start. If they do that I think they might use Rishabh Pant up the order again, like they did in Sydney, because if it does get down to a run chase and (India are) behind the (required) run rate early on,” Ricky Ponting concluded.