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Indian tour set the challenge: Ponting
Australia skipper Ricky Ponting has admitted that one of the most challenging summers of his career, started with the tour of India in October last year,
- Press Trust of India
- Updated: February 14, 2009 04:15 PM IST
Read Time:2 min
Melbourne:
"It's been a challenging year, there is no doubt about that, going back to the start of the Indian tour. Things went pretty well for us in the West Indies, although we probably had to work a bit harder over there than we have in the past.
"We knew India was going to be challenging and it probably ended up being exactly what we thought it was going to be," Ponting said in an interview to 'The Daily Telegraph'.
However, Ponting insisted it was quite satisfactory to see new talents emerging and handling responsibilities during the summer which also saw the end of Australia's domination in world cricket.
"The whole year, there have been some challenges, but it has been an exciting one for me as well. To see the new fresh faces makes it an exciting time," Ponting said.
The cricketer, who is among the few in the country successfully playing in all forms of the game -- Test, ODI and Twenty20, do not consider the shortest version as a threat to the one-dayers.
"I think both (ODI and T20) will survive. I don't think there is any doubt about that. We are playing more and more Twenty20. It seems like the fans want to see it and the players have taken the game on board in the last 12 months since there is now a world championship to play for," said Ponting.
"When we first started playing it, I always thought the game was going to be one that would be used almost as a marketing tool ... but it has grown into something bigger than that."
Ponting also hoped that troubled all-rounder Andrew Symonds would be ready in time for the Ashes series.
"I just hope he is in a position where he can be seriously considered by the selectors, that is what we all want. That will be through scoring a lot of runs for Queensland and everything else being on track as well," said the skipper.
Australia skipper Ricky Ponting has admitted that one of the most challenging summers of his career which he had just completed, started with the tour of India in October last year."It's been a challenging year, there is no doubt about that, going back to the start of the Indian tour. Things went pretty well for us in the West Indies, although we probably had to work a bit harder over there than we have in the past.
"We knew India was going to be challenging and it probably ended up being exactly what we thought it was going to be," Ponting said in an interview to 'The Daily Telegraph'.
However, Ponting insisted it was quite satisfactory to see new talents emerging and handling responsibilities during the summer which also saw the end of Australia's domination in world cricket.
"The whole year, there have been some challenges, but it has been an exciting one for me as well. To see the new fresh faces makes it an exciting time," Ponting said.
The cricketer, who is among the few in the country successfully playing in all forms of the game -- Test, ODI and Twenty20, do not consider the shortest version as a threat to the one-dayers.
"I think both (ODI and T20) will survive. I don't think there is any doubt about that. We are playing more and more Twenty20. It seems like the fans want to see it and the players have taken the game on board in the last 12 months since there is now a world championship to play for," said Ponting.
"When we first started playing it, I always thought the game was going to be one that would be used almost as a marketing tool ... but it has grown into something bigger than that."
Ponting also hoped that troubled all-rounder Andrew Symonds would be ready in time for the Ashes series.
"I just hope he is in a position where he can be seriously considered by the selectors, that is what we all want. That will be through scoring a lot of runs for Queensland and everything else being on track as well," said the skipper.
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