da heads bet： Ricky Ponting rarely gets too emotional when he reaches a century but even he was particularly excited by his first hundred in India
da pinup bet： Ali Cook09-Oct-2008The bump ball incidentA confused Ricky Ponting has admitted he had no idea what happened on the delivery that caused Anil Kumble to appeal furiously for a caught and-bowled dismissal. Ponting was on 110 when he drove at a full-pitched delivery that went straight back to Kumble.Kumble roared an appeal to the umpire Rudi Koertzen, who thought it was a bump ball, but with the Indians growing increasingly confident he checked with Asad Rauf, his partner at square-leg. Rauf agreed with the original decision.Initially it looked like Ponting, who was out shortly after for 123, had struck the ball into the ground before it went back to Kumble, but TV replays created some doubt.”At the time I was positive I hit the ball on the full,” Ponting said. “I was sort of expecting it to dribble back to Anil, but I looked up and he was taking the ball in front of his face. I couldn’t work out what had happened with it. I haven’t seen a replaybut at the time I was pretty sure I’d hit it into the ground.”Ricky Ponting rarely gets too emotional when he reaches a century but even he was particularly excited by his first hundred in India. After four tours and 12 years of trying, he finally was able to conquer the one major blight on an outstanding career.And for once Ponting, who prefers to deflect personal attention, was happy to talk about it in detail. “I’m as pleased with that innings as I probably have been with any innings I’ve ever played,” he said. “I’d played eight Tests here before with a highest score of 60, so I had some work to do. I had a point to prove to a few people as well. It was satisfying today.”Ponting said the key difference was he had learned to trust his technique, something he has developed since the team arrived in India. “I’ve been working really hard,” Ponting said. “I’ve made no secret of it, my record here has been poor.”Today is one step in the right direction. It was nice to get some runs out there and put the team in a good position. But one innings doesn’t make a tour.”Ponting said Greg Chappell, who was appointed coach of Australia’s Centre of Excellence last month, has been a “great acquisition” and had helped form his strategy. “We’ve all had a bit of input from Greg,” he said. “There’s no rocket science.”All of us through the last few weeks have had the opportunity to speak to him about how to adapt our games to these conditions. There’s no doubt he’s had some influence on me and the other guys.”Ishant Sharma troubled Ponting at times, just as he did in Perth during the previous series in Australia. “It is a great feeling to bowl to him [Ponting] because he is my favourite batsman,” Ishant said. “But I am not thinking about this when he is in front of me; I just look to bowl in the right areas.”The first-over loss of Matthew Hayden meant Ponting arrived after only three balls, but it turned into a big advantage because it saved him from an immediate duel with Harbhajan Singh. “It probably helps,” he said of getting in early. “It’s probably the hardest for any batsmen to start against spin, especially with a really soft ball like it was today. It was hard to get it through the field.”The other tours I’ve had here, apart from the last Test I played, I’ve batted at six, always coming in against spin and when the wicket has worn. One thing that stands out in my career is whenever I’ve been in early, with the team in a bit of trouble, I’ve managed to make runs.”
