He's is in pensive mood. It has only been two days since he had appeared on Australia's genealogy television show Who do you think you are, mate?, and they had revealed the truth about his great-great-great grandfather. Not Captain Cook, as his mother had always told him, but a criminal shipped out from Tilbury after being convicted of illegal gambling. It had been a blow.
After a quick glance at the pitch, with glades of grass as green as Greendale, he errs on the side of boldness and decides to bat.
-------
Five minutes after lunch, on the second day. Australia batted well, but were dismissed for 363 by an impressive English bowling attack, just before the close of the first day's play. Now, the pitch is drying out and England have batted well. Ian Bell, promoted to open in Alastair Cook's absence, has batted fluently for his 76. Strauss is looking calm at the non-striker's end, and England are well placed on 105-0.
The plan agreed at lunchtime had been to open with the seam bowlers - but Xavier Doherty had bowled well in the nets before start of play, dismissing Ponting himself three times. So on a hunch, no more than that, Ponting pulls off Ryan Harris and throws the ball to Doherty.
Doherty limbers up, pitching the ball into the Adelaide sunshine, with a flick of the fingers to give the ball a burst of electric spin. Bell's eyes narrow a little. A moment grabs him. The temptation grabs him. He moves out of his crease, raising his bat like a knight at Agencourt, ready to chop down a Frenchman. The ball pitches. The ball turns. Bell swings widly at it. Bell misses it. Haddin fumbles the ball, and the stumping chance is gone, like a handful of dust blown away in the Autumn breeze.
Ponting knows he is in trouble, through little or no fault of his own.
The plan agreed at lunchtime had been to open with the seam bowlers - but Xavier Doherty had bowled well in the nets before start of play, dismissing Ponting himself three times. So on a hunch, no more than that, Ponting pulls off Ryan Harris and throws the ball to Doherty.
Doherty limbers up, pitching the ball into the Adelaide sunshine, with a flick of the fingers to give the ball a burst of electric spin. Bell's eyes narrow a little. A moment grabs him. The temptation grabs him. He moves out of his crease, raising his bat like a knight at Agencourt, ready to chop down a Frenchman. The ball pitches. The ball turns. Bell swings widly at it. Bell misses it. Haddin fumbles the ball, and the stumping chance is gone, like a handful of dust blown away in the Autumn breeze.
Ponting knows he is in trouble, through little or no fault of his own.
-------
It's crisis time for Australia as Ponting comes to the crease for the second time: this time just before tea on the third day, in response to England's enormous 517-1 (Bell 332*, Strauss 140).
He is tired: emotionally and physically the Ashes are already taking their toll on him. Cricket is all he cares about; but this is not going well. Simon Katich has just been caught by Strauss at slip, and from the television footage available to the Australians in their dressing room he already knows that Stuart Broad is bowling with pace, bounce and aggression. Ponting knows he is vulnerable, and knows that if he is dismissed, Australia may collapse.
Broad bounds in, with that long face, so poignant to Australians who suffered at his father's hands in the '86-'87 series. Approaching the wicket now, leaping into that long delivery stride. Ponting pushes forward, but there is a click as the ball catches the shoulder of the bat. Is this the end for Ponting and Australia? Ponting flicks his neck round to see the path of the ball. And he lives to fight another day: the ball passes high over the slips' head, as Broad stomps his feet like an angry donkey.
Monty is thrown the ball by Strauss, but he is dog tired. It's just after tea on the fourth day, now, but with only six wickets down and with rain predicted for the fifth day, a draw now looks a likely outcome. Ponting's superb 186 stood in England's way for most of the day, and now Brad Haddin and Doug Bollinger have blocked out the three lions for over half an hour. Is there anything Monty can do?
He is unsure of what to do; and having dropped that catch off Graeme Swann's bowling to give Ponting a reprieve on 21, he is feeling the pressure. The Australian supporters jeer his every move, and he knows this should be his time. The big opportunity: unexpectedly called up because of Cook's illness just before the start of the test, and now failing to deliver.
But Kevin Pietersen can see the spinner is looking down, and decides to get behind him, in an unusual sense of the phrase. He grabs the spinner's backside in order to gee him up. The crowd laugh as Panesar jumps. But his shock at his teammate's over-familiarity is sufficient to break the vortex: and somehow, somehow, he lets go, forgetting his nightmare, forgetting the "coaching", forgetting the criticism. He decides to let the ball talk for him, and produces the best bowling display of his life.
The match has gone now. England have won by eight wickets. The crowds have gone, and the Australian team are packing their bags.
In a quiet corner of the dressing room, Ponting is drinking a can of Castlemaine XXXX, because that is what Australians do. He's exhausted now, there is no more. He asks himself whether he should accept the suggestion made by The Adelaide Times that he should away the captaincy to Shane Warne.
Decisions, decisions.
(PS. NWS would like to apologise for the late delivery of this prediction. To explain, it is simply because NWS got confused about when this test match was starting. Easy mistake to make.)
He is tired: emotionally and physically the Ashes are already taking their toll on him. Cricket is all he cares about; but this is not going well. Simon Katich has just been caught by Strauss at slip, and from the television footage available to the Australians in their dressing room he already knows that Stuart Broad is bowling with pace, bounce and aggression. Ponting knows he is vulnerable, and knows that if he is dismissed, Australia may collapse.
Broad bounds in, with that long face, so poignant to Australians who suffered at his father's hands in the '86-'87 series. Approaching the wicket now, leaping into that long delivery stride. Ponting pushes forward, but there is a click as the ball catches the shoulder of the bat. Is this the end for Ponting and Australia? Ponting flicks his neck round to see the path of the ball. And he lives to fight another day: the ball passes high over the slips' head, as Broad stomps his feet like an angry donkey.
-------
Monty is thrown the ball by Strauss, but he is dog tired. It's just after tea on the fourth day, now, but with only six wickets down and with rain predicted for the fifth day, a draw now looks a likely outcome. Ponting's superb 186 stood in England's way for most of the day, and now Brad Haddin and Doug Bollinger have blocked out the three lions for over half an hour. Is there anything Monty can do?
He is unsure of what to do; and having dropped that catch off Graeme Swann's bowling to give Ponting a reprieve on 21, he is feeling the pressure. The Australian supporters jeer his every move, and he knows this should be his time. The big opportunity: unexpectedly called up because of Cook's illness just before the start of the test, and now failing to deliver.
But Kevin Pietersen can see the spinner is looking down, and decides to get behind him, in an unusual sense of the phrase. He grabs the spinner's backside in order to gee him up. The crowd laugh as Panesar jumps. But his shock at his teammate's over-familiarity is sufficient to break the vortex: and somehow, somehow, he lets go, forgetting his nightmare, forgetting the "coaching", forgetting the criticism. He decides to let the ball talk for him, and produces the best bowling display of his life.
-------
The match has gone now. England have won by eight wickets. The crowds have gone, and the Australian team are packing their bags.
In a quiet corner of the dressing room, Ponting is drinking a can of Castlemaine XXXX, because that is what Australians do. He's exhausted now, there is no more. He asks himself whether he should accept the suggestion made by The Adelaide Times that he should away the captaincy to Shane Warne.
Decisions, decisions.
(PS. NWS would like to apologise for the late delivery of this prediction. To explain, it is simply because NWS got confused about when this test match was starting. Easy mistake to make.)
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