Ricky Ponting, the legendary Australian cricketer, has chosen his combined Test XI from the Australia and India squads for the upcoming ICC World Test Championship final. Ponting based his selections on recent form rather than reputations.
For the opening positions, Ponting chose Rohit Sharma and Usman Khawaja to create a left-right batting combination. Ponting also named Rohit as the captain of the combined Test XI due to his extensive leadership experience. Ponting emphasized Khawaja’s exceptional performance over the past couple of years, both in Australia and overseas.
Marnus Labuschagne was picked as the No.3 batsman in the team, with Ponting praising his outstanding contributions in recent years. Ponting then selected Virat Kohli and Steve Smith, considering them as two of the greatest batsmen of the past decade, to form the middle-order of the combined XI. Despite Kohli’s recent lean patch, Ponting acknowledged his strong comeback in the series against Australia.
Ponting made a surprising choice for the last middle-order spot by selecting all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. Ponting highlighted Jadeja’s significant improvement in his batting over the past few years and believed he could comfortably hold the number six or number seven position.
Alex Carey was chosen as the wicketkeeper in the combined Test XI due to his impressive growth in the Test format over the past year. Ponting acknowledged Carey’s excellent wicketkeeping skills, considering them among the best in the world.
