Kl Rahul and Pat Cummins (ANI)
NEW DELHI: After India's six-wicket win against Australia in the fifth match of the tournament at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday, former Aussie skipper Ricky Ponting said that Pat Cummins' side looked off the mark.
While speaking in an ICC video that was shared on Instagram, Ricky Ponting said that it is very important to win matches at the World Cup and finish top of the table. Ponting also added that Australia cannot afford such mistakes in the tournament.
"Australia, to me, looked to be a fair way off the mark, to be honest, in that game against India. You can't afford to be zip-and-two (0-2) in a World Cup. We know how important it is to finish up the top of the table," Ricky Ponting said.
The former Aussie skipper also showered praise on Pat Cummins' side and said that it is a very good and talented squad. Ponting also added that Adam Zampa needs to perform well since the Aussies have only two spinners including Glenn Maxwell.
"But I've still got full faith in their squad. It is a very good squad, a very talented squad. We know there are a lot of all-rounders on that side. The other thing that I probably learned is that they're going to need Adam Zampa bowling well. It's as simple as that. With only Zampa and (Glenn) Maxwell as the recognised spinners in their playing XI for that first game, a lot of the wicket-taking onus is going to come back on Zampa. It didn't happen in game one," Ponting added.
In the fifth ODI World Cup match between Australia and India, Mitchell Marsh and David Warner opened for the Aussies in the first inning, however, Marsh went for a duck, but Warner (41 runs from 52 balls) and Steven Smith (46 runs from 71 balls) helped Australia to make a crucial 69-run second-wicket partnership.
Soon after Smith's wicket, the Aussies failed to get a hold of the match after the Indian bowling attack showcased a stellar performance. India's three-spin bowling attack of Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, and Ravichandran Ashwin put up a magnificent inning and dismissed the Aussies for 199. Jadeja picked up three wickets. Kuldeep and Jasprit Bumrah took two wickets each.
Meanwhile, Mohammed Siraj, Hardik Pandya, and Ashwin scalped one wicket each in the fifth ODI World Cup match. In the second inning, Australia started off well after they dismissed Ishan Kishan, Rohit Sharma, and Shreyas lyer for a duck leaving India at 2/3.
However, Virat Kohli (85 runs from 116 balls) and KL Rahul (97* runs from 115 balls) made a solid 165-run partnership to clinch a six-wicket win against Australia. In their upcoming fixture, Australia will lock horns against South Africa on Thursday at Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
