The Ashes remains Test cricket’s biggest rivalry – there’s rich history, a bit of bad blood, epic clashes, memorable individual performances, countless memories and more. For both the Australian and the English players winning an Ashes series remains the pinnacle of red-ball cricket.
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However, there’s another rivalry that’s inching closer to matching the intensity and quality of Ashes, feels the legendary Ricky Ponting who also claims it has already dethroned South Africa as Australia’s second most fiercest competitors in the Test arena.
The Indian cricket team has been bossing over Australia when playing at home for some time now but in recent years, has also proven they are equally good when playing in their rival’s territory.
The Indian team has returned victorious from their last two Test tours of Australia and will be in the country again later this year for a five-match rubber.
Ponting says India have been presenting Australia with a stern challenge and thinks that the current set of players also share his views.
“I think I was a part of it when that (IND-AUS rivalry) really started to grow, when the rivalry really started to grow was it’s right at the back end of my career,” Ponting told ICC.
“And that’s when I think India seemingly really started to stand up to the fight and say, ‘OK you’re playing against India now, this is a different Indian team, we’ve got different leaders and different players and we’re going to do it whatever we can to beat you guys – whether it’s in India or in Australia’,” he added.
Ponting, one of the greatest batters to have played the game, is excited for the upcoming Border Gavaskar Trophy.
“I’ve said for the last couple of years now, Australia have always had a fierce rivalry with England, obviously, and a very strong rivalry with South Africa. But I think India is now sitting right on the back of what an Ashes clash is like and probably overtaken the rivalry with South Africa. So I mean, that’s probably enough said. The fact that someone like me is looking at it in that way. I’m sure the players look at it in the same way as well and I’m really excited for the summer,” Ponting said.
“There’ll be a lot of Indian broadcasters out there. There’ll be a lot of Indian fans out here. India will bring a really strong team here. And we know Australia are World Test Champions at the moment so it should be a mouth-watering summer again,” he added.
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