Higher Than Ashes, India-Pakistan? Ricky Ponting’s Big Declare About India-Australia Rivalry | Cricket Information

With unprecedented attendance within the Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia, former Australia captain Ricky Ponting asserted that it is laborious to argue that the rivalry between the 2 groups is not the most important in world cricket. Traditionally, the England-Australia rivalry is seen as the most important in Take a look at cricket however the attendance document for the five-Take a look at collection between India and Australia stood at 8,37,879 with 3,73,691 spectators marking their attendance at Melbourne Cricket Floor throughout 5 days, surpassing the earlier mark of three,50,534 set in 1937.

Ponting was surprised by the numbers and stated it will be fascinating to see the Ashes attendance when England come to get a greater thought of the rivalry from the fan’s perspective.

“I had a have a look at the numbers yesterday, it was one thing like 837,000 folks got here to look at the Take a look at matches, which is exceptional right here in Australia,” Ponting advised The ICC Assessment. “So now that this collection has occurred, Australia have England popping out subsequent summer time so we’ll get a greater thought then. If the numbers aren’t the identical, then there will be little question that the (Border-Gavaskar) rivalry (is greater), actually from the followers’ perspective.

“There’s two separate components to this: There’s what the followers need to see and the rivalry that they need to make of it, however it’s additionally how the gamers view the rivalry between the three groups now.”

Remarkably, there was scope for attendance figures to be even larger, with early finishes and a wet Brisbane encounter denying a seven-figure mark. “Perth solely went 4 days, Adelaide solely went three days, Sydney solely went three days. These numbers would have been astronomical if these Take a look at matches all went 5 days.

“So precisely this time subsequent 12 months, we’ll have a fantastic thought of the most important rivalry in world cricket,” Ponting continued.

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri feels that the bar has been raised by the spectators for Take a look at cricket within the trendy period within the recently-concluded collection that hosts claimed (3-1) for the primary time in a decade.

“One stat stands out: 3,75,000 folks coming by way of the gates in that Melbourne Take a look at match, beating the document set 90 years in the past of three,50,000. (In) 1936/1937, when the ‘G’ might maintain 120,000 folks and when Bradman was taking part in. It simply goes to indicate the sudden curiosity within the trendy period. The bar has been raised. The bar has been raised huge time,” he stated.

For Shastri, the narratives and storylines are too good to only watch at house in entrance of the tv and have drawn the general public out in power, with many even travelling from abroad to see historical past unfold in individual.

“For folks to get on the market and watch cricket when there’s tv, when there are OTT platforms, the place all that’s there, nonetheless for 375,000 folks to come back (to Melbourne) after which replicate that in Sydney with full homes, it is unreal,” Shastri added.

Ponting backed up Shastri’s view. “The followers, understanding how good these two cricket groups are, need to be there and need to be a part of it and need to see Take a look at Match Cricket at its very best,” he stated. “Proper now, it is actually laborious to argue that this is not the most important rivalry in world cricket. It is grown. Yr-on-year, and Ravi (Shastri) and I, have been part of most of those for the final 15, 20 years. We have felt the way it’s been rising and rising and the rivalry will get larger and now the followers are into it as effectively,” Ponting added.

The ultimate ingredient for Border-Gavaskar collection success got here by way of the tug-of-war nature of the collection, with Australia getting back from 1-0 down to say a collection victory.

Not solely did India harbour hopes of levelling the collection to retain the trophy on Day Three in Sydney, however a spot within the World Take a look at Championship (WTC) Last was nonetheless inside the vacationers’ grasp, just for the hosts to carry their nerve in a chase of 162 when Bumrah was unable to bowl.

Ponting praised Australia’s capacity to show issues round on the backend.

“Once you lose a Take a look at match (in Perth) like that towards one other very sturdy opposition facet, you do must do a little bit of soul looking and do plenty of speaking,” he stated. “It has been a very good turnaround, particularly when at the beginning of the collection, I believed Australia would win 3-1, however I really thought they’d win the early Take a look at matches.

“I believed they’d win Perth, I believed they’d win Brisbane and possibly Adelaide and discover it tougher in Melbourne and Sydney. The circumstances that you just suppose India would usually play higher in, Australia’s discovered a approach to outplay them in Melbourne and Sydney. It was a very good turnaround and one that they will be proud of.”

Shastri, Australia’s success, was lavish in his reward for captain Pat Cummins. “He (Cummins) amazes me. Even after I was the coach within the dressing room, I might simply admire his willpower, and his willingness to compete. He by no means offers up and it is like that session after session – he’ll come at you with the ball,” stated the previous India coach.

“And simply when the chips had been down, numerous occasions within the collection, he rose to the event. And never simply with the ball, however with the bat as effectively.”

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