Australia captain Ricky Ponting has thrown up a riddle for the Indian team, refusing to divulge whether Shaun Tait, the flopped Perth star, will be retained.
ADELAIDE: Australia captain Ricky Ponting has thrown up a riddle for the Indian team, refusing to divulge whether Shaun Tait, the flopped Perth star, will be retained or will he be replaced by left-arm spinner Brad Hogg for the final Test starting here Thursday.
"Historically, spin is the preferred option. But when you have someone like Taity (Tait) who is a wicket-taker in the wings, it gives you a lot of options. He has taken wickets for South Australia for a long time, both early with the new ball and late in the game when there has been variable bounce. His style is suited to these conditions," said Ponting here Wednesday.
"The wicket here is usually good for batting, and it looks headed that way. It's actually quite dry. You have to weigh up whether the spin option is the way to go or to use four fast bowlers to make use of the variable bounce. If we do play four quicks, we will have to mix and match, using part-timers earlier in the day so as to not get caught out like in the last game," he added.
Tait was expected to rattle the Indian batsmen with his wild pace in the Perth Test but instead the speedster proved to be a big failure as the Indian batsmen handled him with ease on a bouncy track at the Western Australia Cricket Association (WACA) Ground. At one point in the game, Ponting didn't even bowl Tait and the fast bowler looked lost.
India are also expected to bring in off-spinner Harbhajan Singh in their five-man bowling attack. And Ponting said that he has been thinking about how to face his nemesis Harbhajan, who has got the Australian captain out with the first ball five times.
"I've analysed a little bit, but I am not a huge analyst. I sat down and thought about how to play him (Harbhajan). I have not had a chance to impose myself. Hopefully, I can get on top of him and stay on top throughout the game," said Ponting.
Ponting, however, shrugged off claim that after losing the Perth Test his team was under pressure in the fourth Test. "We have nothing to lose, really. We are looking to improve on last week. We were disappointed with the way we played and India played well. We are hoping to turn things around."
"Individuals rebounding from personal failures is a test of their character, same can be said of a team. What is important is how you bounce back, how you back your skills and talent after a loss."
The Australian captain also said that even if his team suffers a loss, it wouldn't mean the decline of the World Champions. "We had the same before the World Cup and ended up without losing a game there. We have just had 16 undefeated Tests, I don't think there is too much to worry just yet."
"The rivalry is very strong, India are great and enjoyable opponents. You always want to be pushed, and they have pushed us. Everything is lining up for this game to be a beauty," he said.
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