With the Border-Gavaskar series right around the corner, legendary Australia cricketer Ricky Ponting has compared the rivalry between India and Australia to the oldest rivalry of the game, the Ashes.
The first Test of the highly-anticipated 5-match Test series between India and Australia will be played at Perth’s Optus Stadium from November 22 onwards.
Ponting, who led Australia to several famous victories over India in Test cricket, urged both teams to maintain a competitive but fair spirit throughout the series. The former Australia skipper also believes that the rivalry between the Baggy Greens and the Men in Blue is close to the level of the Ashes.
“Australia-England, with the history of the Ashes, but Australia-India is not far behind that and it’s built up over a long period. I think we all look forward to these sorts of battles. As a past player, as a commentator, I want to see these two teams go out there and play hard and fair and then see who is left standing at the end of the next five games,” Ponting said on the ICC Review.
“I don’t know if spice is the right word, but I expect the game to be played sort of almost on the edge, if you like, with two of the best teams in the world not wanting to give an inch to each other. “Not wanting to give an inch to the opposition, not wanting to lose a single contest through the course of those whole five Test matches,” Ponting added.
“That’s the beauty of these great rivalries in world sport. Australia-India in a Test match now is as big a rivalry as there is in world sport, not just cricket,” Ponting concluded.
