SUPER TEST, NEW CHALLENGE
The Break Will Allow The World XI To Be Competitive , Writes Ricky Ponting
Leading an Australian side against a World XI will always be one of the standout moments for me as far as my career as captain goes .I had mentioned that it was a strong side with no weak links and that we needed to play our best
cricket if we wanted to win.
Our motivation after the Ashes loss coupled with the fact that the World XI
team never quite became a team ensured a 3-0 score line that is completely satisfying. We now go into the
TEST at Sydney confident that if we keep this momentum going, the World will not enough to stop us.
Playing indoors takes some getting used to, and it was lucky that we won the toss on all three occasions .However ,I was happy at the way the team responded to some of the changes that have been made in the side.
Simon Katich complemented Adam Gilchrist superbly and our opening stands were crucial ,particularly in the first two games .Gilchrist himself showed why we is considered one of the most devastating p-layers in World cricket today.
He was instrumental in setting the tone for our performance right from Game one.. And his
good form augurs well for the Tests as well. I
think he is
going to come good at Sydney as well.
Shane Watson was the other star performer ,both with the bat and the ball. He has traveled extensively with the team, and he seemed to enjoy the opportunity he got in this series .Shane has always been a hard worker, and we now need a multiple skills player in that slot.
It’s early days still, but his talent and work ethic suggest that he will go the distance. It was heartening to see that the rest of the side also responded well whenever they got a chance to perform.
Plenty has been said and written over the last three weeks, so it was obvious that the guys were eager to show everybody that we are still a champion side.
As I said earlier ,the World XI never quite made the transition from being a collection of champions to being a champion team .I don’t think motivation was a problem, but perhaps a slighty longer preparation period would have helped.
The Test will be a little more challenging because the players will have more time to adjust and gel.
However, we do have some serious momentum going for us and if we do our basics well there is no reason why we won’t win at the SCG as well.I have never seen Test Cricket at the SCG in October , so the conditions could be a factor.
It will also be interesting to see Shane Warne operating against a gallery of the World’s best batsmen.
The limited nature of the one-day contest did not lend itself to too many one-to-one encounters.
However, I see many such interesting clashes taking place in the six-day Test match.
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