Former Aussie skipper and three-time World Cup winner, Ricky Ponting knows what it takes to win big ICC events. Talking about Team India’s chances, Punter has identified the main man, who could lead India to third World Cup trophy.
“It is a huge plus for Virat to have someone like MS Dhoni around for the World Cup. He brings in a lot of experience, a lot of knowledge about the game. He has been there before, been through the World Cups and was the captain of the World Cup-winning team,” Ponting told India Today in an interview.
He added: “It is nice to have someone like that in your corner. But I think not as much for the captaincy side of the thing for Virat, the match-winning ability of Dhoni is somewhat overlooked to a certain degree. I think he always controls the middle of the innings with the bat, particularly during the run chases. I think he was the main reason (Dhoni not playing) why Australia were able to get back on the top during the last series,” Ponting added.
He is backing India to perform well in the showpiece event in England and Wales. “There is no doubt about the quality of the Indian team. We have seen it on display for a number of years now. I think they have got so many, really good, match-winning players starting with someone like Rohit Sharma at the top who has made three or four double hundreds in one-day cricket. They’ve got so much talent available and will do really well in the English conditions as well. They will be one of the favourite teams going in,” said Ponting.
“The only concern that they have got right now is the No 4 batting spot. They have been tinkering with it for the last few weeks. I think Australia, England and India will be the top three favourite teams in this World Cup. I will be surprised if the winner comes outside of those three teams,” he added.