Greatest test XI of the modern era

#3 Ricky Ponting (c)

The best exponent of the pull and the hook shots in modern cricket

Had it not been for the towering presence of Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting could well have been regarded as the greatest modern day batsman. Ponting amassed more than 13000 runs in both tests and ODIs and scored more international hundreds than anyone else except Tendulkar.

The run machine from Tasmania was the lynchpin of the Aussie top order in both formats of the game and contributed to the dominance of the Kangaroos in no small measure.

Ponting’s batting repertoire covered all the shots in the book but it was his pull shot that stood out the most. He pulled ferociously and showed great aggression while dealing with pace. There were a few chinks in Ponting’s batting armor, the most notable one being his vulnerability to quality spin in the subcontinent.

Apart from it, Ponting was a nightmare for bowlers.

Both as a batsman and a captain, Ponting is one of the most successful players in the modern era. During his time, Ponting experienced both extremes of fortune. He is the only player in the history of test cricket to take part in a hundred test victories and holds the best record for a captain with 48 wins in 77 matches. However, he was also the first Australian captain to lose three Ashes series.

Since Ponting is one of the most prolific batsmen at no.3 position, he will occupy the same slot in our ‘greatest test XI of the modern era’ and will assume the mantle of captaincy as well.