Ponting must wait for success in India, says Chappell

FORMER Australian captain Ian Chappell has urged Ricky Ponting to show some rare patience in his bid to end an Indian curse.

Ponting has compiled more than 10,000 Test runs and averaged 58.37 in a glittering career, but the one black spot has been his form in India.

In eight Tests he has a mere 172 runs at a staggeringly low average of just 12.28.

His top score is only 60, and just once in 14 innings - in the Test in Delhi in 1996 - was he dismissed by a fast bowler.

The Australian captain has been particularly tormented by feisty off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who again looms as a major threat in the upcoming four-Test series.

Chappell, who conquered India in 1969-70 with 324 runs at 46.28, said Ponting would need to rethink his approach when the Australian team arrived on Monday.

"Playing good spinners has always been Ponting's achilles heel. He tends to push out at the ball when defending rather than letting the ball come to him," Chappell said yesterday.

"Good players of spin reach out to smother the spin in attack, but in defence let the ball come to them.

"Ponting has been dismissed for so many low scores, he hasn't found a method that will allow him to survive this danger period.

"Also, Ponting's desire to dictate gets him into a bit of trouble in India. He hasn't displayed the patience required at the start of an innings when you are facing good spinners in India."

Chappell said it was crucial Ponting worked his way into his innings, rather than attack from the get-go.

Ponting has a strong career strike rate of 59.04 runs per 100 balls, but in India it has already been a relatively tame 46.11 - highlighting the difficulties he has had.

"Adjusting to playing good spin bowling in India is the toughest challenge facing an Australian batsman," Chappell said.

"The important things . . . are finding a survival method, watching the ball off the pitch really closely, working out what shots you can and can't play and learning you have a fraction of a second longer to play the ball off the pitch when compared to Australia."

Ponting has unfinished business in India in more ways than one after missing out on being a real part of Australia's 2004 series win because of a broken thumb.

He had to sit out the opening three Tests, including the series-clinching win in Nagpur, and only returned for the final clash - which Australia lost.

Ponting begins this latest series under another injury cloud after having surgery on his wrist.

But he is expected to be fully fit come the series opener in Bangalore, on October 9.

Punter does go with hard hands early against spinners so maybe he does have to heed Chappell's advice. Interesting that Chappelli's average was 46 on that tour which is the one I think where Bill Lawry declared he was the best batsman in the world after watching him perform. Perhaps it shows that what we consider stellar performances have changed over the past few decades. Or maybe the then Indian spinners such as Bedi had a more fearsome reputation.

Red wrote:Punter does go with hard hands early against spinners so maybe he does have to heed Chappell's advice. Interesting that Chappelli's average was 46 on that tour which is the one I think where Bill Lawry declared he was the best batsman in the world after watching him perform.

And straight after that tour SA thumped Aus 4-0.

There was much hilarity about Lawry's comment.

Who said the poms are desperate when always bringing up the 66 WC win . . . . it's been about as long since the Saffies even looked like beating Australia . . .

tac wrote:Who said the poms are desperate when always bringing up the 66 WC win . . . . it's been about as long since the Saffies even looked like beating Australia . . .

Context, context, context.

Unless you reckon Chapelli was the best batsman in the world.

taipan wrote:

tac wrote:Who said the poms are desperate when always bringing up the 66 WC win . . . . it's been about as long since the Saffies even looked like beating Australia . . .

Context, context, context.

Unless you reckon Chapelli was the best batsman in the world.

Do you think Shiv is really the best bat in world now? That's where he's ranked . . .

tac wrote:

taipan wrote:

tac wrote:Who said the poms are desperate when always bringing up the 66 WC win . . . . it's been about as long since the Saffies even looked like beating Australia . . .

Context, context, context.

Unless you reckon Chapelli was the best batsman in the world.

Do you think Shiv is really the best bat in world now? That's where he's ranked . . .

Had a fair year.

Doesn't change the chapelli comment though

Of course it does . . . rankings show that you can the best in world after one series and 4 or 5 after the next . . .

Nidge does an SG . . .

Does Nidge rhyme with Pidge?