Ricky Ponting brilliance shows he can tell the future

Ricky Ponting has left Justin Langer flummoxed after an on-air moment where the former Aussie captain read the future.

Ricky Ponting could see it coming from a mile away.

The former Aussie Test captain produced a masterclass in cricket commentary after spotting exactly what Pakistan needed to do to remove David Warner on Day 2 at the SCG.

Warner fell to a tricky piece of spin bowling from Agha Salman before lunch on Thursday, triggering extraordinary scenes as he received a standing ovation from the Sydney crowd while walking off the ground.

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Warner had worked hard to get into his innings, but appeared hesitant in the overs leading up to his dismissal where he was caught at slip by Babar Azam, ending his innings on 34 runs.

Just moments before his demise, Ponting called for Pakistan to make the bowling change to introduce Salman into the attack.

Pakistan was clearly listening in and introduced the spinner from the next change of ends — producing immediate rewards.

Ricky Ponting can tell the future. Photo: Fox Cricket and Getty.

Warner was squared up by a delivery that bounced up and collected an outside edge high on the bat before popping up to Azam’s left.

It’s exactly what Ponting told the Tourists to do.

“You talk about the scoring rates of these Australian opening batsmen. Usman Khawaja’s done most of his scoring against the spin, against when Sajid came into the attack. Might be worth thinking about a change of spin,” he said on Channel 7.

“Salman was quite impressive in the first couple of Test matches with his off-spin. Didn’t bowl many mad balls.

“To me, it looks like he gets a bit more work on the ball than what Sajid does. Hasn’t really turned many today, Sajid. Salman there. Worth giving him a bit of a crack before the lunch break.”

When Salman snared the wicket, Channel 7 commentator Tim Lane said: “Ricky Ponting’s done it again”.

There was silence around the SCG as David Warner trudged off for perhaps the last time, falling victim to a disastrous brain fade in the closing minutes before lunch.

Former Aussie coach Justin Langer was flummoxed.

“Ricky have you ever captained a side before,” the stunned former opening batter said.

Ponting responded: “Once or twice JL. What a piece of bowling it was.

“I just had the feeling he gets a lot more work on the ball than what Sajid does and that’s taken a chunk out of the top of the wicket. He squared Warner up and off he goes.”

If Australia puts on a huge total or rain impacts the match, it could be the last time Warner bats in Test cricket.

Fox Cricket analyst Kerry O’Keeffe exposed exactly where Warner went wrong.

“He’d worked so hard Warner, but the bowling change worked didn’t it,” he said.

“The different off-spin. He was so used to the predictability of Sajid Khan and Salman has come on and varied him. Good move by Shan Masood.”

He went on to say: “It’s curious. David Warner’s bat was looking to the on-side for the last half an hour. For some reason he had to flick things onto the leg side and it’s pitched and turned a bit, but Warner’s bat face in the end denied him.

“A little bit of off-spin from Salman undid him.”