Ponting backs Australia to secure win in third Test against India

New Delhi [India], December 13 (ANI): Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has backed his former team to emerge victorious in the third Test against India at Brisbane, despite recent losses to India and West Indies at the venue.
The two teams have shared the spoils in the opening ICC World Test Championship matches in Perth and Adelaide. India secured a commanding 295-run victory in the series opener, while Australia bounced back in the pink-ball Test with a 10-wicket win.
Ponting believes the third Test in Brisbane will be a more evenly matched contest but still tipped the home side to triumph. Speaking to host Sanjana Ganesan on the latest episode of The ICC Review, he said:
"It is really hard to say what to expect after the way the first two games have gone. I mean, they have been complete blowouts either way, so you do not really know what to expect. I have got a feeling it will be a bit more of an even contest than the first couple of games. I still think Australia will win," he added.
Ponting cited Australia's historically dominant record at the Gabba to back his prediction. Between 1989 and 2020, the hosts remained unbeaten at the venue across 31 Test matches.
Although Australia have lost twice at the Gabba in the last four years -- to India and West Indies -- Ponting remains confident in his former team's chances.
"Generally, the team that wins the toss in Brisbane will bat first, aim to post a big score over the first couple of days, and then wait for the pitch to offer more assistance to the bowlers later in the game. That is typically how teams play there," Ponting explained.
"Australia, if (Josh) Hazlewood is not fit, will likely remain unchanged. India have some decisions to make. Who do I think will dominate? It will probably be a bowler-friendly pitch for the first couple of days. There is usually 8-10mm of grass on the wicket at the Gabba. If it is cloudy and overcast, the bowlers will be licking their lips, and batsmen will need to work hard for their runs."
He added, "I will back recent form. India have a good record, but historically, Australia have lost just twice at the Gabba in about 40 years. So, I will back Australia to win."
In a previous episode of The ICC Review, Ponting had predicted a 3-1 series win for Australia. He reiterated that prediction but admitted the result in Perth had surprised him.
"Yeah, I will stick to it, but I was not expecting India to have a win next to their name at this stage. I thought Australia would win in Perth and Adelaide," Ponting said.
"From here ... Brisbane is next. India played beautifully there last time, but I think they will find it hard to win again, especially after what happened in Adelaide," he added.
Ponting acknowledged India's resilience but stressed that Australia still held the upper hand.
"This Indian team has shown in the past that when their backs are against the wall, they often play their best cricket," Ponting said.
"However, I still think Australia are a slightly better and more well-rounded team. If they can maintain their form from Adelaide, they will be tough to beat in Brisbane," he concluded.
Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey (wk), Brendan Doggett, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Nathan McSweeney, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster.
India squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Devdutt Padikkal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar.
Reserves: Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, Khaleel Ahmed, Yash Dayal. (ANI)