“One of the best all-format players in world”: Ricky Ponting raves about Travis Head

New Delhi [India]: Australia’s 2003 World Cup-winning captain Ricky Ponting was impressed with Travis Head’s sensational display and called him one of the best all-format players in the world.

Australia’s left-handed opener took the fight to Indian bowlers, kept the run flow above the asking rate and produced an exhilarating knock of 137.

Ponting hailed Travis for his performance and told Sky Sports, “Travis is emerging as one of the three or four best all-format players in the world. His Test record is outstanding. He is unorthodox at times [in one-day cricket] and you wonder how he will get past the new ball, but he does and scores big runs.”

Australia skipper Pat Cummins sang praises of the explosive opener hailing his ability to out the pressure back on the opponents and said as quoted from ICC, “That was a big risk, I think we could have been made to look really silly if that didn’t pay off, but you’ve got to take those risks to win a tournament. And Trav, the player we’ve seen in Test cricket, he just epitomises everything I want out of a cricket team.

He takes the game on, he plays with a smile, he just puts the pressure right back onto the opposition and he’s just great fun to be around. So, I couldn’t be happier for Trav.”

Coming to the match, India was bundled out on a score of 240 in 50 overs. On a tough batting surface, skipper Rohit Sharma (47 in 31 balls, with four boundaries and three sixes), Virat Kohli (54 in 63 balls, with four boundaries) and KL Rahul (66 in 107 balls, with one four) posted important knocks.

Mitchell Starc (3/55) was the pick of the bowlers for Australia. Skipper Pat Cummins (2/34) and Josh Hazlewood (2/60) also bowled well. Adam Zampa and Glenn Maxwell got a wicket each.

While chasing 241, India had the Aussies down at 47/3. Knocks from Travis Head (137 in 120 balls, with 15 fours and four sixes) and Marnus Labuschagne (58 in 110 balls, with four boundaries) left the Indian team without answers and guided them to a six-wicket win.

The World Cup finalists will now compete in a five-match T20I series which will begin on Thursday in Visakhapatnam.