Ricky Ponting predicted David Warner 100th Test double century

Ricky Ponting is one of Australia’s great cricket brains but the former skipper has once again shown his eerie commentary skill.

Ricky “Nostradamus” Ponting is back in the commentary box after he predicted David Warner’s record-breaking performance after day one of the Boxing Day Test.

Warner had been heavily criticised after spending three years without a Test century but he made the most of his opportunity with one of the gutsiest centuries seen on these shores.

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Ponting has made plenty of seemingly bold calls which have come true during his commentary career including telling Seven viewers how the Aussie had planned to get Marco Jansen a matter of balls before Nathan Lyon took his wicket in the first innings of the first game exactly the way he had just laid out.

Australia blasted the Proteas out for 189 and Warner was on 33 not out at the end of the first day of the Boxing Day Test.

Before the start of day 2, Ponting said Warner would go on to become just the second Aussie to hit a century in his 100th Test — following Ponting himself — and then go on to be the second player in history to make it a double.

“Yes,” Ponting said after he was asked about Warner’s prospects of a hundred.

“And if he gets it, he might make 200. There you go.”

David Warner celebrated 200. Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

Ricky called it. Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

As the old saying goes, it’s easier said than done and that was definitely true for Warner.

After hitting a much-needed hundred, Warner struggled with cramp as he hit his way towards the milestone.

In a drinks break just before bringing his double hundred up, Warner looked distressed, draping a towel over his head and taking on plenty of fluids.

When he edged through the slips to bring up the milestone, Warner dropped to his knees before leaping to the air.

However the landing was too much as Warner was helped from the field retired hurt for 200.

Ponting was pleased for Warner to bring up the milestone.

“Awesome. I actually feel really glad that I am here to witness this,” Ponting said.

“A guy coming into the game under a little pressure and not having made the runs he would have liked to have made. His 100th Test match and he’s played the way we all hoped he would. He’s played the way that all of Australia hoped he would.”

Ricky Ponting is a witch. Photo by Matt King/Getty Images

But players will be keen for Ponting to predict big things for them as has developed a track record of being bang on the money with his bold calls.

Ponting called a second-ball duck for India’s Prithvi Shaw in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Series in Australia in 2020-21.

He didn’t quite have the crystal ball working before the T20 World Cup when he said Australia would beat India in the final, he did say: “You just can’t rule out England.”