Ponting blasts Australia for showing ‘no desperation’
SYDNEY: Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting slammed the team on Sunday for showing “no desperation” after Nathan Lyon decided against reviewing his leg before dismissal in the Sydney Test on Sunday.
Lyon was adjudged LBW after being struck on the pad off a Kuldeep Yadav delivery. He asked non-striker Mitchell Starc if he should opt for a review, but the duo decided against it despite two reviews remaining in their innings with only two wickets in hand.
Australia were dismissed for 300 in the first innings after which India enforced the follow on. The hosts came out to bat in the second innings, trailing by 322 runs.
“That (Lyon’s) dismissal actually says a lot to me about the mindset of this Australian team at the moment. There’s no desperation there whatsoever,” Ponting said on Channel Seven, one of the host broadcasters.
“Why wouldn’t they have had a look at that? They’ve still got the two reviews up their sleeves. There had to be some sort of doubt in that,” Ponting added.
The former captain also criticised pacer Starc, who was at the non-striker’s end, for not intervening.
“Given out straight away and Mitchell Starc just puts his hand out and says ‘oh well, it’s not me, it’s up to you to make (a call)’”.
“Well, unfortunately, when you’re out there together it’s a partnership. You’ve got to do whatever you can to try and save your mate. And there was absolutely none of that there,” Ponting said.
Replays suggested the ball would have probably struck Lyon outside the line of off stump.
Australian team has faced severe criticism from former players as it struggles without Steve Smith and David Warner.