Ponting exasperated after 'very soft dismissal'
Cricket great Ricky Ponting has led a frustrated chorus of opinion from fans after another disappointing batting display from Australia against India.
By the time Travis Head became the fifth Australian wicket to fall – on the cusp of tea and with storm clouds looming at the SCG – Ponting had seen enough.
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“That’s another very soft dismissal,” Ricky Ponting lamented on Seven.
“You’re never going to get better batting conditions … it’s just mistakes from batsmen.”
Head, who looked set on 20, inexplicably chipped a full toss back to Kuldeep Yadav in the penultimate over of Saturday’s second session.
It was the last thing Australia needed, having seen India declare at 7-622 after a mammoth first innings.
The manner in which Head was dismissed – after seeing his teammates fall like flies before him- drew scathing criticism from fans on social media.
Head is too mentally weak to play Test cricket.
He has stood and watched Pujara for a million hours and learnt nothing #AUSvIND— Al Prior (@AlrantAl) January 5, 2019
Key difference between the sides. India's batsmen make sure you work extremely hard to get their wicket. Australia's batsmen just give them away to any old ball. #AusvInd
— Caught Behind Cricket Podcast (@CaughtBehindPod) January 5, 2019
So annoying, T.Head out and yet again another Aussie gets out from a poor shot. Australia 5/192 and not one wicket has come from great bowling. #AUSvIND
— Nathan Watson (@NathanW39506373) January 5, 2019
Poor poor shot from Travis Head.
Not even showing a ounce of fight. Only rain can save the once Mighty Aussies.#AUSvIND— Samarth (@SamarthMallik) January 5, 2019
Travis BrainFhead? Hands over a full toss. Canteen stuff… #AUSvIND
— Himanshu Shinde (@HimanJadduboy) January 5, 2019
Another innings, another Australian batting collapse. Ricky Ponting sounds very distressed on commentary! 😂 #AUSvIND
— Richard (@rpenners1) January 5, 2019
Aussie batsmen: get a start, throw away their wicket, rinse and repeat. It's so predictable now it's not even funny. #AUSvIND https://t.co/oU17TDxszL
— Shayne Dias (@ShayneDias_) January 5, 2019
Australia’s top order crumbled in a collapse of 3-24 after a positive start to day three of the fourth Test against India at the SCG, where bad light ended play with the hosts in deep trouble at 6-236.
The tourists, holding a 386-run lead at stumps, will likely have the option of enforcing the follow-on.
Virat Kohli may wish to give his fast bowlers a break after the temperature hit 37.8 degrees in Sydney on Saturday.
Regardless of Kohli’s decision, India are perfectly placed to complete an emphatic maiden series win in Australia after their day-two declaration at 7-622.
Peter Handscomb, unbeaten on 28, has an ideal pitch on which to prove he belongs at Test level and looms as Australia’s best hope of finally celebrating a century this series.
Pat Cummins is 25 not out, extending the career-best form with the bat he showed in Melbourne.
However, once again Cummins found himself batting far too early in the innings after a stack of teammates got in, then got out.
With AAP