AUSTRALIAN captain Ricky Ponting feels his side’s 10-wicket win over New Zealand in the first Test is ample proof he made the right decision declaring when he did during the first innings.
On the back of fighting centuries by Michael Clarke (168) and Marcus North (112), Australia were at 5-459 when Ponting pulled the plug, sending New Zealand in to bat, just after lunch on Saturday, the second day of the Test in Wellington.
In reply, the hosts crashed and were dismissed for 157, with Ponting opting to apply the blowtorch and enforce the follow on.
New Zealand returned fire and with the help of some wild weather on day four, frustrated the tired Australian bowlers, leading some to question Ponting’s tactics.
But McCullum’s wicket for 104 early on the fifth day ultimately led to New Zealand’s downfall, the hosts being dismissed for 407 in the first hour on Tuesday, having added just 38 runs to their overnight total for the loss of four wickets.
And with a mere 106 needed to win this Test, Phillip Hughes ensured the runs came in a rush as he blasted out 86 from 75 deliveries to ensure the Aussies could comfortably tuck into lunch with a victory under their belts.
Ponting, though, felt the early declaration was essential to Australia wrapping up the win.
“I knew about the weather coming,” Ponting said when asked about the logic behind the move.
“We could have batted on and got 600 or whatever we wanted to, but by doing that and losing the majority of the day yesterday, we would have been touch and go (for time to bowl New Zealand out twice).”
“For me and the Australian cricket team, it’s all about giving ourselves the best chance of winning, so I felt pulling out at that time and even enforcing the follow on when we did, meant that it was giving ourselves the best chance to win the game.”
“We’ve done it really well, (I’m) so happy with the way the bowlers have stuck with it the last couple of days, we’ve been in the field for four consecutive days, so they’re all a little bit tired and sore in the rooms tonight.”
The result completed what seems to have been an exceptional week of captaincy by Ponting.
The Australian skipper reportedly spent hours with Clarke ensuring the vice-captain was ready for battle after a fortnight of personal turmoil when his relationship with fiancée Lara Bingle came to an end.
Ponting also spent considerable time in the nets with Marcus North, helping the embattled middle-order batsman with the technical and psychological tips he needed to turn a recent form slump into an impressive ton.
“No doubt their partnership in the game was a big reason we are sitting here like we are today with a good 10-wicket win early on day five,” Ponting said, referring to the pair’s 253-run stand in the first innings.
I think a lot of our players tend to react and respond really well when that sort of stuff is hanging over their head.”
“Michael in particular’s got a great record when there’s been a hiccup, whether it is form or anything else, he’s always found a way to respond really well.
That’s a good sign of good strong character (and) Marcus is a little bit the same.”
“So great to see the guys that work as hard as they did going into the game get the rewards that they got out of the game as well, ’cause both of them obviously looked exceptional at the crease,” he said. (CA)