'I saw Rahul Dravid and...': Ricky Ponting reveals turning point where India got it wrong

IND vs AUS: The WTC 2023 final hasn't panned out the way Rohit Sharma intended it to be. Following a dismal Day 1, the bowlers made a comeback on Day 2 and restricted Australia to a below-500 score. Approaching 469, India's top order once again collapsed and as a result, India are reeling at 151 for 5 at stumps on Day 2. Former Australian captain, Ricky Ponting, who is in the commentary panel for the Ind vs Aus clash, laid out what went wrong for India after the culmination of the day's play.

It has been a tough outing for India at the Oval till now, and now discussions are in place in hindsight to find where India lacked. While it has been a comprehensive performance by Australia thus far but it has been complemented by misjudgments, as per experts. According to Ricky Ponting, it was the bowling from Day 1 that let the team down.

Also Read: WTC Final, IND Vs AUS Live Score Day 3

Ricky Ponting left unimpressed by India's strategies against Aussies

Speaking to ICC, Ricky Ponting expressed his view on the hitherto one-off India vs Australia Test. Per Ponting, India's bowling strategy was the opposite of what the pitch favored, and bowling "too short in the first hour" of Day 1 cost the team. He highlighted that bowlers should have gone for the fuller length. 

Ricky Ponting reckons India should have bowled fuller with the brand new Dukes ball given the ground conditions on Day 1.

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"I think where they let themselves down was in the first hour yesterday and bowling too short," Ponting told the ICC.

"With the wicket conditions, the overhead conditions they had and the brand new Dukes ball, they had to bowl fuller and get the ball driven back down the ground.

"They needed to have Australia four or five down at lunch and they only had them two down which was a pretty good result (for Australia)."

"I know the captain wears the brunt of it (criticism), but I know it’s not only his decision," Ponting noted.

"I saw Rahul Dravid and him out (Rohit) in the middle yesterday morning and they had a long discussion about what they wanted to do at the toss.

"If they wanted to bowl first I think they had to play the four seamers. So far you would say it hasn’t paid off - but there is a long way to go and we probably shouldn’t be too quick to judge."

WTC Final: Australia ahead in match

While India did start on a perfect note, sending Usman Khawaja back for a duck, but David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne got the Australia out from the nervy start. However, both fell quickly before lunch on Day 1, giving India a chance to run through the batting lineup. Steve Smith and Travis Head registered a century each from there to take Australia out from trouble and into a supposed winning position. Indian fans were hopeful of a similar batting performance from their team, but the likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Shubman Gill, could not capitalize on the start. Ravindra Jadeja, who looked promising on the crease, could not go past the 48-run mark.