New Delhi: Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting urges struggling batters Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne to learn from star Indian batter Virat Kohli. He said that the two cricketers would return to form if they follow Kohli. The 36-year-old scored a sensational century at the Optus Stadium in Perth as the Men in Blue defeated Australia by 295 runs in the first Test.
His century came in the second innings of the Test after he was dismissed by Josh Hazlewood on 5 runs in the first innings. Kohli struggled to score runs before the start of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He only managed to score just 93 runs in six innings against New Zealand in the home Test series.
Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne have an average of less than 30 in 2024 in Test cricket and are on the verge of getting dropped from the squad if they continue to fail. The Men in Blue are 1-0 up in the five-match Test series as they look to win another Test against the Aussies in Perth.
‘Think about scoring runs first and not think about getting out’: Ricky Ponting
Ricky Ponting on the ICC Review said that Kohli went back to trusting his game and he looked a completely different player in the first Test. He further added that the star Indian batter got away from trying to combat the opposition and focused on his strength as a player
“Virat went back to trusting his game and he looked like a different player in the second innings than he did in the first innings. He got away from trying to combat the opposition and focused on his strengths. That’s what Marnus and (Steve) Smith need to do – find their own way and show great intent” Ponting said on the ICC Review.
He also advised Smith and Labuschagne that they need to think about scoring runs and not about getting out. Ponting also said that when a batter is not in form he need to show positive intent and that’s the only way to score runs.
Australian batters Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne can learn from Virat Kohli, said Ricky Ponting ahead of the Day-Night Test match in Adelaide. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
