'Australian players have no say': Ricky Ponting opens up on ongoing Nagpur pitch debate

Ind vs Aus: Former Australian Captain Ricky Ponting expressed his thoughts on how the Nagpur pitch fared on Day 1 of the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Ahead of the start of the first Test, Austrlian experts alleged India of pitch doctoring. On Day, India restricted Austrlia on 177 and finished the day on a high note trailing by just 100 runs.

Spin, which was pitted to be an important factor before the start of the play, did become the attribute for Australia to lose 8 wickets. Jadeja took 5 and Ravichandran Ashwin lay hold of 3 wickets. Following the dominant display by spinners, Australian legend Ricky Ponting opned up on the action that transpired on Day 1. 

'India's best chance of beating Australia is to prepare turning wickets': Ricky Ponting

“I expected today's wicket to play like it has. I got a look at it like everyone did a few days ago, and that's when all the talk started about the surface. But India's best chance of beating Australia is to prepare turning wickets. One, because our batsmen will find it difficult, but also because they would think that their spin bowlers are better than Australia's as well," said Ponting.

“And the fact that Australia are playing the two right-arm off-spinners here, one of those guys on debut. That's definitely where India have the advantage. So I can understand why it's worked out that way,” he added.However, Ponting was quick to highlight that back at home, the players or Cricket Australia didn't get involved with the process of preparing pitches.

"The only difference I guess with somewhere like India to Australia is, I know in Australia the players actually have no say over how the wickets are prepared at all. Unless things have changed the last couple of years, when I was playing, and certainly after I'd finished, the captains or anyone from Cricket Australia never even spoke to the groundsmen. You just left it up to the groundsmen to prepare the best wicket that they could," highlighted Ponting.

India vs Australia, 1st Test: Day 1

In the first innings of the match, after winning the toss and choosing to bat first, Australia struggled to perform and was dismissed for a mere 177 runs. India's Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin played a crucial role with their exceptional bowling skills as Jadeja took five wickets and Ashwin claimed three. The opening batsmen for Australia, David Warner and Usman Khawaja, were removed cheaply by Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj, providing India with an early advantage. Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne tried to save the Australian team with their batting, scoring 82 runs together before Jadeja took three quick wickets. This was Jadeja's first international match after returning from an injury sustained during the Asia Cup last year.

Jadeja's excellent performance with the ball saw Australia go from 76-2 at lunch to 173-8 after lunch. Ashwin then returned to the field to help India bowl out Australia for just 177 runs. Indian openers Rohit and Rahul then put on 76 runs on the board before the latter was removed. At stumps on Day 1, India are 77/1. Rohit will resume batting for India on Day 2 alongside Ashwin.