Published 18:41 IST, January 18th 2021
Ricky Ponting hopeful of Indian batsmen's 'resilience' ahead of Day 5 of Brisbane Test
Former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting has said that India's resilience has to give up at some stage on Day 5 of the series-deciding Test at the Gabba
- SportFit
- 3 min read
Former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting believes that Team India's resilience will give up at some stage on the final day of the series-deciding fourth Test match at the Gabba, Brisbane.
Chasing a stiff target of 328 runs, India finished Day 4 at 4/0 and they will have their task cut out on the final day (Tuesday) to survive the remaining three sessions against a formidable Australian bowling line-up.
'Being so resilient': Ricky Ponting
"India's resilience has got to give up at some stage. They can't keep doing what they've been doing, being so resilient, and tomorrow it might be that day. The last day of the series, potentially playing for another draw, I've just got a feeling that something's got to give. And Australia on the other hand, they know they have to go flat out and give everything to win the series," Ponting told cricket.com.au on Monday.
At the same time, the three-time World Cup winner added that a drawn Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test series will hurt the hosts more than the loss they suffered during the 2018-19 season.
"I think a drawn series will be worse than the loss a couple of years ago. That's the way I look at it, considering how hard India has found it going through 20 players in a series, (Australia) having Warner back for the last couple of games, Smith back for all them that they didn't have last time around. A draw would not only feel like a loss to them but be a worse result than the last series," he added.
Who will have the last laugh on Day 5?
The visitors will need to do the unthinkable like they had done in the previous game at the SCG in order to ensure that the contest ends in a stalemate and end up securing the Test series.
The Tim Paine-led side must win the series-decider in order to seal the series. If the final Test match ends in a stalemate, then not only will the four-match series be tied at 1-1, but India will also end up retaining the iconic Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The visitors are the current holders of the prestigious trophy after having won the previous edition of the four-match Test series 2-1 in the 2018-19 season. It was also Team India's first-ever Test series win on Australian soil.
If Paine & Co. succeed in coming out on top at the Gabba, then the Border-Gavaskar Trophy will change hands for the first time after the 2016/17 season.
(With ANI Inputs)
Updated 18:41 IST, January 18th 2021