Ricky Ponting is to Australia what Rahul Dravid was to India, says former India captain Anil Kumble, adding that Ricky is a great player and he kept the team together especially coming in at No. 3 like Dravid did for India.
According to a report in The Times Of India, Kumble, who was the Indian captain during the infamous Monkeygate scandal in Australia that brought both the teams on the verge of an ugly fallout and India almost threatened to pull out of the tour. Recalling those turn of events, said "During our tour (2008) and after the incident ( Sydney), things were a bit different, but I have interacted with him before that incident and even later. Whenever we've met, he has always been cordial."
The report adds Kumble saying, "What was striking about his batting was the way he stayed positive right throughout," Kumble recalled.
Analysing his failures in India, Kumble felt the low bounce on the Indian pitches was something that Ponting took time getting used to. "He was a good player of spin and he did exceptionally well against us in Australia. He was very good against fast bowling in particular and few played the short delivery better than him," Kumble said.
Meanwhile The Hindu writes that Ponting’s legacy is unique in Australian cricket history. “He continued the tradition of driven, attack-minded cricket as batsman and captain, and won a lot. But he also broke tradition by staying in the team after captaincy and he lost a lot more than Australians are accustomed to,” says Hindu, adding that in a sense, he presided over a decline from a Golden Age.
“While he was a part of more than 100 Test victories — a staggering record — and three World Cup triumphs, including two as captain, he was also the only Australian leader to lose three Ashes series. Had Australia been in a stronger position, Ponting would have left Test cricket earlier — or been pushed out. Australia rarely lets former captains dwell; the management’s first action is to strip away the past. But Australia needed Ponting; Michael Clarke wanted him. He could still summon his powers, just not as frequently or for as long. But though the runs dried up, the person flowered: Ponting took to the role of senior statesman with surprising élan — the generous opponent who urged Rahul Dravid not to give up, the kind mentor young Australians looked up to. It was no surprise his team was in tears when he announced his retirement. He remained a rock-star to the end, just without the rebellious angst of his youth,” writes The Hindu.
