I was at the bullring, the current location of England’s collapse, when Ricky Ponting made the Indian attack look like you, me and your mate Dave bowling to him during a world cup final.
I’ve seen him make runs on three continents.
I remember his first test innings, and Arjuna tapping him in a sympathetic way after a shocking LBW.
I’d say I have seen a shitload (the technical term) of his runs.
So when I say I haven’t seen him bat worse than yesterday and make runs, it isn’t some rambling of a drunk with no short term memory, even if I am drunk and my memory is shit.
The first session was just horrible.
On twitter all I could was describe it with a shit joke, “I dated a girl once who had no thumbs, her pulling was still better than ponting’s.”
Ponting could not pull, and yet, in a twist that a movie of the week would love, he couldn’t stop.
Every pull shot was met with a weird part of his body or bat.
The Pakistanis thought it was funny, and they were right.
But bloody Ricky wouldn’t give up, and somehow, without any logic involved, he ended up with his first hundred in 10 tests.
I’ve seen all of those tests, this was the worst he batted, only because he couldn’t have played worse.
I’ve said many a time that he isn’t the batsmen he used to be, but he is still one grumpy mother fucker.
The hairs on his goblin arms were at full attention for all of yesterday, and as we know, they contain special powers.
This wasn’t vintage Ricky, this was vinegar Ricky, but he still made it work.
Maybe he just wanted to give the pull stroke one last glorious send-off before putting it away.
Or we can hope.
Love it when he fights back, no matter how ugly.
@above are you LL?
coinbox.
India would have been winner if sachin had 5% of Ponting’s fighting qualities. :D
I can’t take it any more! I have to know why yawn’s comments all end with the word “coinbox”!
The gritty gremlin earned this one for sure. Go for the triple – even we Aussie haters are with you today.
Alex, I think most players have an aesthetic sensibility that just won’t permit them to humiliate the game in this fashion. But I see that you are so moved by it all that you stopped at 1 line.
Out, and caught! What the fuck is happening – must be the eclipse!
Hagarkar gets 5 in a Ranji Fucking Final !!! …. ! (assume 39 fucking exclamations)
Fuck, the portends are all there, the Pakis are winning this one!
Breaking News (not related to the post)
Fakey is back and was interviewed by one of the best Indian bloggers around, http://www.greatbong.net
And yes, he reads cwb.
.-= Dhananjay Mhatre´s last blog ..Short Story 3 – Stylebhai =-.
Much respect for Ponting for the fight he showed. Definately the batsman of the decade. This was much like the 241 that Tendulkar scored in Sydney. Differance was that Tendulkar did not hit a single cover drive, his favourite and Achiless Heel. Ponting was hellbent on hitting the hook shot till he got it right. Tells a lot about these two gentlemen. Now one hopes that Ponting does not repeat Ganguly’s mistake and declare too late.
.-= Dhananjay Mhatre´s last blog ..Short Story 3 – Stylebhai =-.
Batsman of the decade? Probably. Player of the decade? Definitely not.
.-= Mahek´s last blog ..FICA and the need for a Collective Bargaining Agreement – II =-.
Damn that first 50 was a pig headed stubborn ugly effort and he deserved to be caught on 0.
The next 150 were pretty good though. Had to laugh at Clarke falling asleep at the crease. He must of been thinking about car insurance premiums.
There should be penalties for negative bowling – 6 wides an over is just not cricket.
Can’t wait to see Tanvir in the ODI’s.
Yawn, i’m not @above.
Coinbox?
.-= LL´s last blog ..Mark Sanchez =-.
@Mahek – I say batsman of the decade is good enough. Player of the decade is a debate which can go on for another decade.
The latest news is that ponting can’t and wont stop pulling. It comes too naturally.
I tried to stop once as well… i lasted 13 days.
yeah…only because pakis can’t fucken catch. getting hussey into form wasn’t good enough so they had to get punter going as well.
Dont worry Sunny, neither Ponting or Hussey are in form. Neither will make another test century before the Ashes starts next summer
@poopsie – yeah but england are a bit hot and cold these days. plus they seem to need their bowlers to save games…with the bat that is. not sure why they dropped onions for this game…they might just need him.
@Sunny The English batsmen felt so helpless without Onions that they gifted their wickets with some spineless cricket yesterday.
Sorry Englishmen, but your team carries too much attitude around, but can’t fucken play. I thought the Aussies would hold the “team worth hating” title forever, but the guys from the Old Blighty are giving them a run for their money.
@timothy – they are not likeable are they? i don’t know what it is: the misplaced arrogance in spite of apparent mediocrity or the fact that they can’t field a team without atleast 4 saffers in it.
today i saw chris broad slide and misfield…and while he was getting up he gave the grass a bit of his mind and an air slap. i mean seriously what the hell is wrong with this guy?
knitpicking!. :D
‘today i saw chris broad slide and misfield…and while he was getting up he gave the grass a bit of his mind and an air slap. i mean seriously what the hell is wrong with this guy?’
The son of Chris is funny, you must admit. Long live his indignation.
Punter looked great for the second half of his innings, but for the first half I thought he’d decided to put away every shot EXCEPT the pull. Taking stubborness to unheard of degrees.
I don’t care if he’s hitting them like a ballerina or a punch-drunk prize fighter, as long as he’s chalking up some runs. He just tripled his average for this series (and probably this summer) at a stroke.
.-= Nathan´s last blog ..Daryl Harper & Tony Hill =-.
Punter should be thankful to Aamer who dropped him otherwise he was looking crap in first session, its wasn’t that he was out of form and having a difficult time, it was the ego and pride he had in him about his pull shot.
He was lucky he survived that time by his guts and once again proved he is not a bad choice for a player of the decade.
.-= Reverse Swing´s last blog ..Sydney to Hobart a journey with baby sitting and brotherhood soap, finale begins opera =-.
That was a fine “fuck you” double ton.
Batsman of the decade, sure.
Player, no.
Cricketer, never.
More like a “fuck me” double ton the way he was humiliating himself.
@jogesh99 – it was more of a “fuck me, can i play these guys every day?!”
that too, yeah.
Pakis are the new B’desh, what a historic reversal.
@jogesh99 – i think the toygers have even won a test series more recently than pakistan!