Ricky Ponting makes Australia squad for India test

The Cricket Australia National Selection Panel (NSP) has announced a 13-man squad for the first Vodafone Test next to India, which begin at the MCG on Boxing Day.

Former captain Ricky Ponting made the cut in spite of having been under huge pressure following a fallow year. Young pace-bowler James Pattinson was also named in the side that will take on the star-studded Indian batting listings on December 26.

In-form all-rounder Shane Watson miss out due to injury.

The Australian squad is:

Michael Clarke (c) New South Wales (Age: 30)
Brad Haddin (vc) New South Wales (Age: 34)
Dan Christian South Australia (Age: 28)
Ed Cowan Tasmania (Age: 29)
Ben Hilfenhaus Tasmania (Age: 28)
Mike Hussey Western Australia (Age: 36)
Nathan Lyon South Australia (Age: 24)
Shaun Marsh Western Australia (Age: 28)
James Pattinson Victoria (Age: 21)
Ricky Ponting Tasmania (Age: 37)
Peter Siddle Victoria (Age: 27)
Mitchell Starc New South Wales (Age: 21)
David Warner New South Wales (Age: 25)

Commenting on the squad, National Selector John Inverarity said: "A 13-man squad has been named for the first Vodafone Test against India, starting on Boxing Day.

"The NSP has named 13 players due to the ongoing improbability about the fitness of Shaun Marsh. Phillip Hughes and Usman Khawaja have been absent from the Australian team that played in Hobart and Shaun Marsh, Ed Cowan and Ben Hilfenhaus have been added to the squad.

"Shane Watson was not careful for selection as he has not improved adequately from his injury. Ryan Harris has not yet achieves the volume of bowling required to be available for thought for Test selection.

"Ed Cowan has been in brilliant form in recent weeks. His enclosure is in credit of his constantly good performances and we expect that he can provide control at the top of the order. Ben Hilfenhaus has regain form this season and he provides a strong and dependable bowling option.

"We see both Phillip Hughes and Usman Khawaja as rising players with bright futures and residual as players of significance. They are strong-minded young men and I know that they will work hard to make compelling performances and push strongly for further consideration," Inverarity said.

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Ricky Ponting fall but Michael Clarke drives Australia on

Australia 5 for 254 (Clarke 99*, Ponting 78, Haddin 2*) follow New Zealand 295 by 41 runs

Ricky Ponting's extended wait for his 40th test century continue but Michael Clarke was just one run short of his 17th hundred as Australia reach 254-5 at have lunch on the third day of the first test next to New Zealand on Saturday.

Australia, who resume on 154-3, inch progressively towards New Zealand's first innings tally of 295 with Clarke uncertainly balanced on 99 and Brad Haddin next to him on two when the break arrived to end an comprehensive morning session.

Ponting, who Clarke replaces as captain previous this year, had been hoping to notch up his first century since January 2010 but was able only to add 11 to his for the night total before being attentive lbw by Chris Martin for 78.

Clarke and Mike Hussey added another 60 runs before the knowledgeable Western Australian nicked within edge onto his pads and was caught by Jesse Ryder off the bowling of Daniel Vettori for 15.

That came a ball after Clarke had been drop on 85 by wicketkeeper Reece Young, the 30-year-old existing a big scare as he had when he was bowled on 23 on Friday but called back when television replays show he had been dismiss off a no ball.

Ponting's discharge was a reward for some good tight bowling from the New Zealanders, even if Clarke determined to challenge Aleem Dar's decision with a TV referral that upholds the umpire's call.

Clarke, who resume on 28, had earlier bring up his 22nd test half century in some style with a towering six back over the head of bowler Vettori. (Writing by Nick Mulvenney in Sydney, suppression by Greg Stutchbury)

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Ricky Ponting: Overhaul 10 years past due

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has back Cricket Australia's new renovate process saying "it was past due for last ten years".

Under force to hold his place in Australia's batting order, 36-year old Ponting said cricket was taking a more qualified track under the new regime led by chairman selectors John Inveracity and existing head coach Mickey Arthur.

Cricket Australia has announce series of sweeping changes in which turning round policy and selection process have come under huge scrutiny.

"I think it's great. I think it's the way the game should have gone a long, long time ago," Ponting told journalists.

"I think the way things have twisted out at the instant is what (former coach) John Buchanan was asking for 10 years ago."

"It's a much more professional move toward. "We've got quality people in and approximately the team and I think, even already now, we're starting to see just a somewhat different feel and a few different results as a result of that," he said.
"I think Australian cricket is absolutely on the right track."

Ponting also backed skipper Michael Clarke's comprehensive role in team selection and the new policy is bound to take Australian cricket to the top spot from the fourth position.

Ponting's thumbs up to the new CA policy comes after the former coach Geoff Lawson sharp criticism of the turning round policy in team selection.

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Ricky Ponting cheerful to bat at No. 4

Ricky Ponting has said that he has no difficulty in moving down the order as long as he is part of the playing XI.

Australia shuffled its batting order to press in Marsh at the number three place, which means former captain Ponting, his descendant Clarke and Michael Hussey had to slip down one spot each.

"It was a long-term plan of Michael's to have Shaun move to No 3 and me shift to No 4 and Michael move to five and Huss (Hussey) to six," Ponting said.

"So that wasn't just amazing I don't think as a one-off for that game. Michael sees that in the best welfare of the team going onward for a period of time. So I'll be three this week, almost positively three in the one-dayers in South Africa and then probably drop back to four for the Test matches," he added.

Ponting also said that playing at number four spot would give him some more time to think on how to go about his batting.

"When I first came into the Australian side, batting at six was hard. Waiting that amount of time to bat for me was something that was very foreign to me.

"But three to four I don't think is as big a change as three to six, or it surely wasn't in the last Test because I was in pretty early both times. Slight adjustment. It just gives me a little bit more time once our fielding's over to get my head approximately what I have to do to bat," Ponting said.

Clarke had previous made it clear that Shane Watson will not be moving down the order from his original opening slot.

Ponting, meanwhile, urge that while Cricket Australia will choose on a range of appointments optional by the Argus review the position of team presentation manager must be finalized first.

Ponting felt that Clarke would be troubled with an additional task of decision-making on the future tour of South Africa as interim coach Troy Cooley is not very at ease with the selection role trusted upon him.

"Unfortunately at the moment the way things are working out a lot more of the responsibility is going to come back on the captain for this next tour," Ponting said.

"So it's significant that the captain, the vice-captain and probably the senior players do as much as we can around the group on this trip. Troy's been around the group for a long time and understand everybody really well, but he's sort of been push into that selection role at the instant as well which is something very foreign to him," he experiential.

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Marsh place to bat at three on entrance

Shaun Marsh will bat at number three when he makes his Test entrance for Australia next to Sri Lanka at Pallekele on Thursday.

The 28-year-old comes into the side as a in a straight line swap for Ricky Ponting, who has flown back home to attend the birth of his second child.

Marsh, the son of former Australia vice-captain Geoff, is the only change to the tourists' XI following the first Test victory.

Captain Michael Clarke has wedged with the three paceman that help get the job done in Galle, meaning New South Welshman Trent Copeland retains his place.

Copeland, Ryan Harris and Mitchell Johnson will be joined by spinner Nathan Lyon, who capture six wickets on his Test debut.

Australia: Michael Clarke (captain), Shane Watson, Phillip Hughes, Shaun Marsh, Michael Hussey, Usman Khawaja, Brad Haddin, Trent Copeland, Ryan Harris, Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Lyon.

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Ponting, Clarke look to hit form

Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke are aim to put an finish to a bad run in Test cricket when Australia face Sri Lanka in the three-Test series, starting Wednesday.

The visitors will be dependent on Captain Clarke and his precursor, Ponting, to claim the series. This will be Australia's first since the uncomfortable 3-1 Ashes defeat to England in January.

However, it will not be easy to regain form under hard conditions. The duo has struggle in the longer version of the game for close to two years now. They will be eager to make compensation when the first Test opens at the Galle International Stadium.

The 36-year-old Ponting is the third-highest run-getter in Test cricket at the back the Indian duo of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, with 12,363 runs from 152 matches. He has 39 centuries to his credit, though he has not hit a ton in his last 20 outings. His 209 against Pakistan at Hobart, in January, 2010, was his last develop.

Clarke, 30, has fared no better, going with no a hundred in 10 matches after hitting 168 against New Zealand in Wellington in March, last year. But a circle in the fortunes of the tourists' captain and elder statesman may be just an innings away.

Ponting, who made way for Clarke as captain after the World Cup in April, scored 53 and 90 not out during the earlier one-day series next to the Sri Lankans which Australia won 3-2.

Clarke also chips in with two half-centuries in the series and then scored 104 in a three-day put into practice match in Colombo last week ahead of the first test.

Clarke, who begins his reign as a full-time Australian Test captain on Wednesday, said he was keen to score Test runs again.

"My form has not been as good as I would like in Test cricket," Clarke told the travelling Australian media.

"For me, Test cricket is the final, the pinnacle, and I want to be at my best. I could not have asked for better training, but now I have got to do it when it counts. It's significant to make runs every time I bat but I would favor a hundred in the first Test."

Clarke, regard as one of the finest players of spin bowling, has scored 4,742 runs in 69 Tests at an average of 46.49 with 14 centuries.

Ponting admit Australia's Ashes loss, when he was captain, had overstated his batting and now looked forward to doing well as the team's forefront batsman.

"The team's presentation had started to play on my mind and it almost certainly dragged my batting down a little bit," Ponting told a website in a recent interview. "I have got to score runs that are going to be sufficient to win for Australia and that's my main objective for the instant future."

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Ponting: Will give an opinion Clarke if needed

Ricky Ponting doesn't want to give any unwanted advice to his teammates but said if the boys and Captain Michael Clarke need help, he will always be accessible.

"I am just a player in the team now and if Michael or any of the boys want advice, I am just going to be there to give it to them when asked," Ponting was quoted as saying by The Australian.

"My time of being in charge - those days are over and I will just sit over in the corner and make sure I prepare well for every game, and out on the pasture if there is advice I am being asked for, I will be more than happy to give it," he said.

Ponting, however, admit that he does have some wisdom for his teammates. "One thing we can't afford to do, particularly when you go anywhere on the subcontinent, is worry too much about wicket circumstances," the former skipper said.

"In the past we have talk ourselves into what we think conditions are going to be like before we in fact started and made things ever more difficult for ourselves. There won't be any talk about that.

"We've got abundance of time to get ready; we've got five days of training before the one-dayers come around. Michael and I are not playing Twenty20, but we've got five one-dayers before the tour game. So, there is plenty of chance for us and there should be no excuse come Test time," the former skipper said.

Ponting also said that he is not ready to field in slips since he has not improved fully from the fractured finger, which he had operate on again after the World Cup.

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