Melbourne, December 30: Ricky Ponting has declared himself a certain starter for the Sydney Test beginning on Sunday despite suffering more pain than he expected in his hurt elbow during the win at the MCG. Australia have named an unchanged 12-man squad for the second Test, resisting the urge to add Steven Smith as a second spinner following Pakistan’s struggles against Nathan Hauritz in Melbourne.
Clint McKay was retained in the group but is expected to be 12th man again, following a bowling performance Ponting described as the best from an Australian Test team in a couple of years. It included Hauritz’s first five-wicket haul in first-class cricket, and though Ponting said a second spinner would be an option for Sydney, the selectors decided against naming Smith.
Smith was added at the MCG as cover for Hauritz, who had a groin injury in the lead-up to the Test. Smith had enjoyed a net session with Shane Warne which Ponting was certain would help his development. “I know he would have got a lot out of the session the other day,” Ponting said. “Any time any young spinner can spend some quality time with Warney one on one is going to be of great benefit to them.”
Ponting will lead Australia as they aim to take the series 2-0 in Sydney, despite his injury troubling him through the Boxing Day Test. He said he was not in any doubt at all for the second Test.
“I’ve had a bit of pain in both innings to tell you the truth,” Ponting said. “It probably flared up more than I was hoping it would halfway through my first innings but I declared myself fit to play and I’ve just got to put up with it and get on with it from there. That’s all I could do. I’ve continued to have treatment through this game and will the next few days give myself every opportunity to recover as well as I can for the next Test.”
Australia squad Shane Watson, Simon Katich, Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Hussey, Michael Clarke, Marcus North, Brad Haddin (wk), Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Hauritz, Peter Siddle, Doug Bollinger, Clint McKay.
——-Agencies