‘One of those two had to play’ – Ricky Ponting surprised by James Anderson and Stuart Broad’s exclusion from Brisbane Test

Former Australia cricketer Ricky Ponting was a tad bemused after both James Anderson and Stuart Broad didn’t play the opening Ashes Test at The Gabba in Brisbane. The Brits went in with three specialist speedsters – Chris Woakes, Mark Wood and Ollie Robinson – and the all-round option of Ben Stokes for the game that the visitors lost by nine wickets.

Anderson, in fact, couldn’t make the cut after he faced issues with his calf prior to the encounter. Broad missed the bus despite being England’s second-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket with 524 scalps from 149 matches. Ponting was clear cut in saying that the Three Lions made a grave error in the first Test by leaving both Anderson and Broad out.

Ricky Ponting puts forth his opinions

“I’m still staggered to this point now. If Stuart Broad and James Anderson are not better bowlers in Australia than Chris Woakes, then I’m not here. One of those two had to play,” Ponting was quoted as saying on cricket.com.au.

During the first Test, England were faced with another injury concern after Stokes seemed to have developed a strain while fielding. After chasing the ball to the boundary, he looked in quite a bit of discomfort.

“It might be that they’re only going to play one of Broad or Anderson in Adelaide. A lot of it might just depend on how Stokes pulls up between now and the start of the Adelaide game,” Ponting stated.

The second Test between the arch-rivals is set to get underway on Thursday, December 16 at the Adelaide Oval. It’s also the first of the two Day-Night Tests in the five-match series with the fifth Test also being a pink-ball affair.

Ponting also said that the playing conditions are most likely to get easier for the batting team going ahead in the series. As per the veteran, the bowlers may have to put in the hard yards to taste success.

“The conditions are only going to get better for Australia. Those conditions (in Brisbane) were very English-like. There was more pace and bounce but as far as their bowling is concerned, they’re probably not going to get that much movement anywhere else for the entire series,” Ponting added.