Ponting Encourages Smith and Labuschagne: 'Trust Your Game Like Virat Kohli to Make a Comeback'

Taking a 1-0 lead in the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy, India defeated Australia by 295 runs at Optus Stadium. Thanks to Yashasvi Jaiswal's outstanding 161 and Virat Kohli's unbroken 100, India responded sharply after being knocked out for 150 and declared their second innings at 487 for 6. Australia battled in response, falling to 238 all out, and Jasprit Bumrah led the assault with 3 for 42, claiming Player of the Match honours. India's biggest run victory in Australia was this historic test.
India will be preparing for the second Test in Adelaide by means of a two-day practice match against the Prime Minister's XI in Canberra.

"Trust your game like Virat Kohli to make a comeback," Ponting advises Smith and Labuschagne.

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting advised struggling batters Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith to trust their game akin to star India batter Virat Kohli to turn their fortunes around in the remaining four Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Labuschagne was all at sea against Jasprit Bumrah-led Indian pacers in the opening Test at Perth, which the Aussies lost by a whopping 295-run margin, making a 52-ball 2 and 3.

Smith looked equally out of sorts while making a first-ball duck and 60-ball 17 before succumbing to Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj in the first and second innings respectively.

"Marnus looked the most tentative out of all the batters in Perth. Yes, it was high quality bowling on a difficult wicket, but he needs to find a way to turn it around," Ponting told ICC Review.

Ponting cited how Kohli broke the shackles at Perth.

"Virat went back to trusting his game and he looked like a different player in the second innings than he did in the first innings," Ponting said.

Kohli fell to Josh Hazlewood for five in the first innings but made an unbeaten 100, his 30th Test hundred, in the second innings that helped India set a massive 534-run target.

"He got away from trying to combat the opposition and focused on his strengths. That's what Marnus and Smith need to do - find their own way and show great intent," said Ponting.

Ponting, who has 13378 runs from 168 Tests with 41 hundreds, asked the Australian batters to take more risk and apply pressure on the Indian bowlers.

"You have to find a way to take risks and put it back on those guys because you know the Bumrahs of the world… they're not going to give you too many easy scoring opportunities.

"When they do, you've got to be ready to pounce on it and put it away and try and put some pressure back on them," he explained.

Despite suffering a massive defeat in the opening Test to go 0-1 behind in the five-match series, Ponting cautioned the Aussies against making wholesale changes to the eleven.

"I'd be sticking with the same side. I think you have to show faith in champion players and a lot of the guys that we're talking about in this team have been champion players.

"Maybe not for a little while, but they have proven their ability on the big stage," he added.

Australia will take on India in the second Test a day-night fixture at Adelaide from December 6 but without injured pacer Josh Hazlewood.

(PTI)