Former Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting praised England’s ‘Bazball’ approach during the Ashes, which saw them make a remarkable comeback from 0-2 down, leaving the Aussies a befuddled group. Despite leading the series 2-0 after the first two Tests, Australia struggled to combat England’s contrasting style, resulting in a tied series with England winning the third and fifth Tests.
Talking to SEN Radio, Ponting explained, “The two contrasting styles of play were great to sit back and watch. There was a lot of talk about Bazball and how England would approach it, and would that style stand up against the quality of the Australian attack.
“It probably had some of the Australian players, coaches and the captain at different times scratching their heads as to how they were going to combat it.
“I think the 2-2 result, albeit probably slightly biased with a bit of controversy in that last Test with the ball changed, the way it was, that gifted England some conditions they probably shouldn’t have got.
“I think the level of cricket played across the series, the 2-2 result was probably fair,” he added.
Ponting also suggested introducing new bowlers in the Kangaroos’ lineup over the next 12 months, including Michael Neser in appropriate conditions. “As the series wore on, Cummo (Cummins) was probably the pick again. But, Starcy (Mitchell Starc) was outstanding. There were some questions about whether Pat could get through those six Tests and keep his intensity up.
“As it went on, it felt like they could have brought (Michael) Neser in at some stage in the right conditions. But I think what they did selection-wise was right,” he said.
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