Published 13:28 IST, June 1st 2023
WTC Final: Ponting reveals two most talked about Indian players in Australia dressing room
Ricky Ponting has revealed who are the most talked about Indian cricket team players in the Australian dressing room, ahead of the ICC WTC Final 2023.
Rohit Sharma-led team India is currently gearing up for the ICC World Test Championship 2023 Final against Pat Cummins' Australia which will bring a conclusion to the 2021-23 cycle of the coveted championship. With the much-anticipated clash set to begin at The Oval on June 7, 2023, the former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has provided key insights about the Aussie dressing room. Speaking on the latest installment of The ICC Review, Ponting named two players who are possibly the hottest topic of discussion in the Australian dugout.
Ricky Ponting believes the Pat Cummins-led Australian team would certainly be talking about Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara. Pujara has scored the maximum Test runs and centuries in his career against Australia than any other team. On the other hand, Kohli heads into the match having found his form in red-ball cricket with a sensational 186 against the Aussies in the 4th Test in March.
“The Australian team will be talking about Virat, no doubt about it, and they'll be talking about Pujara. They're the two. Pujara has been a thorn in their side a lot in the past, and in Australia, and this wicket will potentially be a lot more like an Australian pitch. They know that they'll have to get him early," Ricky Ponting told ICC Review.
A look at Cheteshwar Pujara & Virat Kohli's sensational form ahead of ICC WTC final
Cheteshwar Pujara led the Sussex County side in the County Championship Division Two 2023 and returned with 545 runs in six innings, with a strike rate of 64.80 and an average of 68.12. Meanwhile, before traveling to England for the ICC WTC final, Virat Kohli smashed 639 runs in 14 matches in the IPL 2023. His tally included two back-to-back centuries in the last two games of the season for Royal Challengers Bangalore.
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"They also know that Virat over the last few weeks is probably just about back to his absolute best, albeit in T20 cricket. He told me that the feeling he's getting right now is that he's almost back to his best, and that's an ominous warning for the Australians going into a one-off game,” Ponting added. The India vs Australia, ICC World Test Championship final begins on June 7 from IST 3:00 p.m. onwards.
Updated 13:47 IST, June 1st 2023