Ricky Ponting throws light on incident where he gave second ball to Glenn McGrath and it didn't go well with them

When the world’s greatest bowlers are being talked of, one cannot miss Australian legendary pacer, Glenn McGrath. He was one of the most accurate pacers who had huge 563 Test wickets under his belt at the time of retirement. He remained the leader of pace attack when the cricket world was dominated by Australia under the leadership of Steve Waugh. Even when Ricky Ponting took the role from Waugh, McGrath remained at the forefront while pushing the team up.

McGrath would open the bowling for his side and in combination, with Brett Lee and Jason Gillespie, and it turned out to be the deadly attacks for opponents. In the same light, Ponting has opened up about an incident where he asked the ace pacer to come second change and didn’t really go well with them.

Glenn McGrath as second change didn’t go well with Australia

“I did it once… in the 2007 World Cup, I reckon when we had Bracken and Tait operate with the new ball, and it didn’t go down that well. But as it turned out, the Pigeon ended up being the Man of the Series anyway. He was the Player of the Tournament while being the first change in that World Cup. I don’t think I ever had to do it in a Test match, but anytime I had to tell him he wasn’t bowling well or his spell was coming to an end, then I wouldn’t get the best of reception,” said Ponting on the unplayable Podcast.

McGrath, the swing specialist was given the second change, and he couldn’t do the wonders he did with the new ball on the ground. Ponting narrated this incident in reference to Australia’s current Test series against India. In the four Tests so far, skipper Tim Paine has gone with Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood with the new ball, and Pat Cummins had pitched in as the first change. The world no. 1 Test bowler in the world is doing well enough and has taken 14 wickets in the first three Tests.