Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has made a bold prediction ahead of the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy series between India and Australia.
Ponting believes Australia will win the series 3-1. This prediction comes despite India's dominance in recent years, having won the last four series, including two historic victories on Australian soil. Ponting's forecast suggests he believes Australia will break their losing streak against India at home.
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What did Ricky Ponting say?
Ricky Ponting, who led Australia to numerous wins during his career, has sparked interest with his confident prediction.
"I’m obviously going to tip Australia to win and I’m never going to tip against Australia. There will be a draw somewhere and some bad weather, so I’m going to say 3-1 to Australia," Ponting stated.
The Border-Gavaskar Trophy has seen India dominate in the last decade. India won the previous four series, including two at home and two in Australia.
However, Australia's recent win against India in the ICC World Test Championship final has given them a renewed sense of confidence.
How many Tests will India vs Australia series feature?
The upcoming Border-Gavaskar series will be the first to feature five Tests since the 2014-15 season. Ponting highlighted the importance of this format.
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"We are back to five Tests as well, which is the other really important thing about this series," he said. Ponting believes Australia has a strong core team, with minimal changes expected.
He mentioned that the only question might be whether Steve Smith should open the batting. Ponting also suggested that India might include a left-arm pacer like Khaleel Ahmed in their squad, alongside their established bowlers Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, and Jasprit Bumrah.
As the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series approaches, Ricky Ponting's prediction adds an extra layer of excitement. Whether Ponting's prediction comes true or not, cricket fans are in for a exciting series between the two teams.
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