'No desperation': Test legend Ricky Ponting slams Aussie slackers
Australia's greatest Test runscorer Ricky Ponting has lashed Justin Langer's men for leaving their mates behind as the scorned side vowed to fight until the end at the SCG.
Scorned for showing a lack of desperation, an under-siege Australian cricket team has vowed to fight to the death at the SCG today.
Peter Handscomb, one of a group of players who lives with his Test place permanently under scrutiny, has declared that Australia can lay an important foundation stone for their Ashes assault in England if they can get in the trenches and dig out a draw.
However, Test great Ricky Ponting called the side’s current mindset into question on a rain-swept day when Nathan Lyon declined to use one of two remaining reviews for a suspect lbw decision when Australia was clinging to its ninth wicket.
Ponting said the poor game awareness highlighted a lack of “desperation” in the Australian camp, an alarming trend the struggling band of batsmen must turn on its head on the final day if they’re to take some semblance of confidence into the bumper year ahead.
“That dismissal actually says a lot to me about the mindset of this Australian team at the moment. There's no desperation there whatsoever,” said Ponting on 7.
“Why wouldn't they have had a look at that? They've still got the two reviews up their sleeve.
“There had to be some sort of doubt in that. Given out straight away and Mitchell Starc just puts his hand out and says "oh well, it's not me, it's up to you to make (a call)".
“Well unfortunately when you're out there together it's a partnership. You've got to do whatever you can to try and save your mate. And there was absolutely none of that there. And as it's shown already that would have been given not out. Slack and not desperate enough."
Australia will be under insurmountable pressure when play resumes today against an Indian side playing with the freedom of knowing the series is in the bag and they’re simply chasing the cream.
For the first time in 30 years, an Australian side was followed-on at home – a chastening reflection for the current state of batting in this country.
Only 25.2 overs were possible on a dismally gloomy day at the SCG, leaving Australia 0-6 in their second innings and still needing 316 more to even make India bat again. It could get even darker for Australia today unless they can summon the spirit of coach Justin Langer and fight to the death.
Handscomb says today shapes as a significant acid test for an Australian team desperately searching for a building block to inspire a comeback from the depths of no-man’s land.
“Yeah it’s huge. It’s huge for us to push for the draw. We’ve obviously got a really, really good chance to shift some momentum back into our camp,” said Handscomb.
“Not just for the one-dayers coming up but also there’s the World Cup and there’s the Ashes.
“This movement can really start tomorrow and we know that.
“We know that as a batting group, that we can really take some confidence if we can last this day and show the country, show the world that we’re not far off clicking and being a really, really good team.
“We haven’t scored a hundred this series which is obviously a big thing.
“If someone can come out and score a hundred that’d be great, or even face 200 or 300 balls in a Test match-saving knock – that can also give us a lot of confidence going forward.
“Whoever that is, it’ll give themselves a lot of confidence and it’ll give the group a lot of confidence.”
Handscomb defended the decision by Lyon and Starc not to review and insisted there is no mindset problem despite the fact Australia has failed to lodge reviews at times they should have this summer in both Test and one-day cricket.
In between frustrating rain and bad-light interruptions which also prematurely ended play, Australia lost their last four remaining first-innings wickets in quick time, with Pat Cummins having his off-stump knocked over by Mohammed Shami just moments after players took to the field for the first time.
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Originally published as 'No desperation': Test legend Ricky Ponting slams Aussie slackers
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