Ponting: Australia Remains Competitive Despite Injuries
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Synopsis
Ricky Ponting believes Australia's competitive spirit remains intact despite injuries. Their impressive win against England in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 showcases their potential for success, even without key players. The performance of Josh Inglis, who scored a century, further highlights the team's resilience and ability to adapt.
Key Takeaways
- Australia demonstrates competitiveness despite injuries.
- Record chase of 351 sets ICC Champions Trophy history.
- Josh Inglis shines with his maiden ODI century.
- Experience gained from challenging matches is invaluable.
- Winning crucial early games boosts team morale.
Dubai, Feb 26 (NationPress) Former captain Ricky Ponting asserts that despite being impacted by injuries, Australia's high-scoring match against England positions them well for a substantial run at the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, even without their top three players: Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazelwood.
In their campaign opener, Australia overcame early challenges to achieve the highest total ever recorded in ICC Champions Trophy history, clinching a five-wicket victory. Although the performance in the field against England raised some concerns, the team managed to chase down a monumental total of 351-8 with 15 balls remaining.
This chase became the highest ever by any team in an ICC white-ball tournament, eclipsing Pakistan's record from the 2023 Men’s Cricket World Cup against Sri Lanka, where Pakistan successfully chased 345.
The win also represented Australia’s second-highest ODI chase and their most successful pursuit against England in this format.
During an interview on The ICC Review, Ponting expressed optimism regarding the experience gained by Australia’s bowling unit, which was put to the test against England.
“That could be really good for a team moving forward. I was a bit anxious. But regardless of their injuries, every time Australia fields a team, you know they’ll be fiercely competitive.
“Winning a match like that when the odds seemed to favor England at 75-25 going into the second innings is significant. Achieving such a win at the beginning of a tournament can be incredibly beneficial for a team,” Ponting remarked.
Ponting also praised Josh Inglis, who scored his maiden ODI century (120 not out off 86 balls), playing a vital role in Australia’s historic chase.
“Inglis was absolutely outstanding. He has now notched up a century in every format for Australia, including a Test hundred just weeks ago, and now his first ODI hundred. You can’t overstate the importance of such moments. That was a critical juncture in the game where the team relied on him to perform.
“The manner in which he executed his innings, transitioning through the gears and powerfully hitting to the leg side against the pace of Archer and Mark Wood, was nothing short of phenomenal,” stated the ICC Hall of Famer.
