Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting said India is not daunted by venues like the Gabba or the Optus Oval as they once were back in the day. India has ticked the right boxes in the last two tours of Australia as they have come up with a collective effort.
Under Virat Kohli, India won their maiden Test series on Australian soil as they registered a 2-1 win on the 2018-19 tour. Subsequently, the Ajinkya Rahane-led team won by 2-1 on the previous tour despite getting skittled out for 36 runs in the opening Test at Adelaide.
India has grown in confidence while playing away from home and the positive results are palpable as the team has performed consistently.
“They won a game at the Gabba, which just doesn’t happen. I think their batsmen adapt to overseas batting conditions very well. I don’t think they’re as daunted by the Gabba or the Optus Oval, as they maybe once were. Maybe it is a selection thing, or they just don’t fear the big stage anymore,” said Ponting on Sky Sports.
The former talismanic batter feels IPL has also helped young players perform at their best at the top level as the tournament has taken out the fear factor.
“For the last 10 years being around the IPL, I’ve noticed that a lot of the young guys [don’t fear the big stage anymore] as the IPL is high-pressure, it is like a World Cup for them. Their batsmen are all very aggressive stroke-making players. They are not scared of failing,” he added.
Ponting added that the pace battery has played an instrumental role in India’s success. Furthermore, the leadership of Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, and Rohit Sharma has been spot-on in overseas conditions.
“Their fast-bowling depth is great. The leadership in the last 6-7 years has been strong, going back to Kohli’s start of captaincy, played a big role in turning the cricket around and Dravid has continued the same in the recent four years. The influence of someone like that [Kohli] around a team would be great and they’ve got star players,” said Ponting.
The opening Test match between India and Australia will be played at Perth from November 22 onwards.
