You've to show faith in champion players: Ponting suggests unchanged Australia XI for Adelaide Test

New Delhi, Nov 29 (IANS) Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has wants the same Australia XI for Adelaide Test against India as the first match and suggested an aggressive mindset against the world-class Indian bowling line-up to bounce back in the series.

India registered a monumental 295-run victory in the first Test of the Border Gavaskar Trophy in Perth to go 1-0 up in the five-Test series as Jasprit Bumrah-led side dined out on a struggling Aussie batting line-up.

While Ponting acknowledged Australia was well below their best in the first Test, the former skipper wants no team changes made for the pink-ball contest in Adelaide.

"I’d be sticking with the same side. I think you have to show faith in champion players and a lot of the guys that we’re talking about in this team have been champion players. Maybe not for a little while, but they have proven their ability on the big stage," Ponting declared on the most recent episode of The ICC Review.

Former No.1 ranked Test batter Marnus Labuschagne, in particular, has faced scrutiny for his performance in the first Test. The right-hander's made just 2 and 3, respectively, in the first Test loss to India, and afterward calls for Labuschagne to be dropped have emerged.

"He's really got to find a way to turn it around. Marnus looked the most tentative out of all the batters in Perth. Yes, it was high-quality bowling on a difficult wicket, but he needs to find a way to turn it around," Ponting said of Labuschagne.

Ponting further stressed the importance of adopting an aggressive mindset, particularly against world-class bowlers like Bumrah, who tore apart the Australian line-up with an important five-wicket haul in the first innings.

“You have to find a way to take risks and put it back on those guys because you know Bumrahs of the world they're not going to give you too many easy scoring opportunities and when they do you've got to be ready to pounce on it and put it away and try and put some pressure back on them,” Ponting explained.

Ponting cited Virat Kohli’s second-innings century in Perth as a prime example of this approach. After being dismissed for just five in the first innings, Kohli came back to register his 30th Test century in the second dig to help India set a massive target of 534 for Australia.

The Aussie pointed to Virat Kohli's century in the second innings in Perth as a prime example of aggressive approach. After being out for only five runs in the first innings, Kohli responded with his 30th Test century in the second innings, playing a key role in helping India set Australia a daunting target of 534.

"Virat went back to trusting his game and he looked like a different player in the second innings than he did in the first innings. He got away from trying to combat the opposition and focused on his strengths. That’s what Marnus and (Steve) Smith need to do - find their own way and show great intent," Ponting said.

Ponting believes that a shift in mindset could be the key to unlocking Australia's potential on the pink ball Test. "Think about scoring runs first and not think about getting out first. That's always a challenge for a batter, especially when you're not in great form. There's only one way to change it and that is to be positive and show great intent," Ponting concluded.

The second Test, which is a day-night match, is scheduled to take place from December 6 to 10 in Adelaide.

--IANS

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