Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting on Thursday questioned Cheteshwar Pujara for his slow scoring rate in the 3rd Test at MCG, despite the Indian batsman registering his 17th Test hundred. The former batsman said that Pujara’s 319-ball innings could cost India the match.
“If India go on and win the game, it’ll be a great innings (but) if they haven’t got time to bowl Australia out twice … it could be what actually costs them the game,” Ponting was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.
“I think it’s always hard for India to push the run rate along when Pujara’s there. He’s just made another hundred, his second of the series, so he’s playing well and doesn’t really look like getting out. But he just locks himself in this little bubble where scoring doesn’t seem to faze him at all,” he said.
Ponting said that scoring at two runs over can make winning Test matches hard on a flat decks such as the one at MCG. “They’ve got other guys in their side who are stroke-makers … but if those guys don’t come off, the scoring rate is always going to be hovering around that two runs an over mark, which makes it pretty hard to win Test matches, especially on flat wickets like we might have here,” he said.
India declared for 443/6 but failed to struck a wicket in the remaining overs of the 2nd Day. Australia reached 8/0 at Stumps, with Aaron Finch and Marcus Harris in the middle.
