Nagpur, Feb 10 (IANS) Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting said he would forgive left-handed batter Matthew Renshaw for being out for a golden duck in the visitors first innings in the ongoing Nagpur Test.
Renshaw made a golden duck after falling lbw to Ravindra Jadeja’s left-arm spin immediately after the spinner, who would eventually take a five-fer, sent back Marnus Labuschagne to the dressing room as Australia made just 177 in the first innings.
“That was a part of the puzzle that I was talking about as to why I thought Travis might have missed out in this Test match. I know the reason that the Australian selectors have picked Matt Renshaw is they believe he’s a very good player of spin bowling.”
“It’s one thing to be known and identified as a good spin-bowling player when you’re playing in Australia. But when you get to India and you’re coming up against such foreign conditions – even today, you know, it’s day one of a Test match and you’re seeing conditions that most of our guys probably have never witnessed before on the first day of a game.”
“That’s when you start to work out who the really good quality players of spin are. I know he was out first ball today. I’ll forgive him for that,” said Ponting in an episode of the ICC Review Show.
Talking about Peter Handscomb, playing in his first Test match since 2019 and making a hard-fought 31 while batting at number six instead of the left-handed Travis Head, Ponting remarked the right-handed batter’s inclusion was a “horses for courses” selection by Australia.
“He’s had a couple of really good years of (domestic) Sheffield Shield cricket. He’s captain of Victoria. I think he might’ve been the leading run-scorer in the Shield competition last year. He started this year really well.”
“So, he’s done everything he can to get back into the Australian squad. But the one thing that’s been in his favour is the fact that this series is in India. If this series had been in England or in South Africa, for instance, then I don’t think Handscomb would’ve got picked.”
–IANS
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