Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has put new Ashes villain Ollie Robinson within the gun, labelling the bowler a “slow learner” for his failed efforts to unsettle Usman Khawaja within the opening Test at Edgbaston.
Ponting additionally declared England had “more questions to answer than Australia” going into the second Test at Lord’s and mentioned he “won’t cop” their discuss entertaining and enjoying constructive cricket being as vital as successful.
Robinson singled out Ponting for his personal sledging throughout Ashes sequence when defending the send-off he gave man-of-the-match Khawaja when he dismissed him within the first innings after the Aussie opener had made a mammoth 141 runs.
Ponting mentioned it was “water off a duck’s back” for himself, however it got here again to hang-out Robinson, who couldn’t assist his workforce dismiss the Australians on the ultimate day as they went on to file an unforgettable win.
“As I said after Ollie Robinson said what he said, this England cricket team hasn’t played against Australia and they’ll find out pretty quickly what playing Ashes cricket and playing against a good Australian cricket team is all about,” Ponting instructed The ICC Review podcast.
“And if Ollie Robinson hasn’t learned that already after last week, then he’s a slow learner.
“Some of the things he had to say – I mean he even brought my name into it, which I felt was a little bit unusual, but for me it’s water off a duck‘s back. If he is sitting back thinking about me, then no wonder he bowled like the way that he did in that game if he’s worried about what I did 15 years ago.
“He’ll learn pretty quickly that if you’re going to talk to Australian cricketers in an Ashes series, then you want to be able to back it up with your skills.”
Ponting singled out England keeper Jonny Bairstow for having an “ordinary game” in Birmingham as one of many important causes England misplaced.
He mentioned going into the second Test 1-0 down within the sequence can be the most important check of England’s all-out assault model of play.
“As far as I’m concerned now, England have more questions to answer than Australia,” Ponting mentioned.
“On their style of play but also now looking at that first Test, they’ve got some selection issues that they’re going to have to deal with as well.
“Jonny Bairstow actually had a very ordinary game behind the stumps, there’s about four chances that he put down. And on flat wickets, if they want flat wickets, you cannot afford your keeper to be making mistakes.
“If you look at those mistakes by themselves, some people might say those mistakes could have cost him the Test match. Those are things they have to answer. Whereas Australia, because they’ve won the game, they’ll have to answer a lot fewer questions.”
Ponting additionally questioned the notion that England was not outcomes pushed and put enjoying constructive cricket above successful.
“I don’t believe that for a second. This is an Ashes series, this is the biggest challenge that Ben Stokes has had in his career as a captain,“ Ponting noted.
“I’m not copping that.
“I mean, if they‘re not results driven, they wouldn’t be disappointed at all about losing. And it seemed to me last night, and he said it, that all his players were in pieces at the end of that game. So that means to me that they do care about losing, and you should.”
Originally revealed as Ricky Ponting calls out Ollie Robinson after Australia’s opening Ashes win
Source: www.dailytelegraph.com.au
