Ricky Ponting hands India blueprint to deal with Usman Tariq ahead of big clash India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup match is scheduled to start at 7 PM IST. As the marquee clash is set to be held at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Both teams are already gearing up for the match as they look to top the Group A table and make it to the Super 8s.
Ahead of the game, Pakistan spinner Usman Tariq has been in the news for a week for his unique bowling action. The question circulating in the news is how the Indian batsmen will handle the pause made by them before bowling the ball. Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has shared his valuable insights on how to handle the bowler.
Ricky Ponting has his thoughts on how to handle Usman Tariq
Speaking to the International Cricket Council (ICC) on the Instagram channel, Ponting gave his thoughts as a head coach on how he would ask his batsmen to play as straight as possible with the bat rather than playing down the ground and across the line.
Host Sanjana Ganesan asked Ponting, ‘What do we think about Usman Tariq’s bowling action? There is a statue-like posture, there is a pause. How do you think India should play with him?
Usman Tariq is creating tension before India vs Pakistan
He replied, “I was disappointed with Cameron Green’s reaction when he came out against him, almost copying what he was doing and talking about his bowling action. You’ve seen it – you know what he does. It should be no surprise.”
“You know he’s going to move, you know he’s going to stop, and you know he’s going to have very little action. It’s no good complaining about it. It’s there – you have to find a way to combat it and play it well.”
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“From what I’ve seen, the guys who have struggled the most against him are the ones who are getting hit across the line a little bit. He doesn’t give a big turner to the ball.”
Ricky Ponting concluded, “If I was coaching these guys, I’d say stand on the off stump, aim for the sightscreen, hit him straight with the bat, and hit him down the ground as hard as you can. If you can do that against him early on, all the pressure comes back on him. So that’s definitely what I’m saying.”
India makes special preparations for Usman Tariq
It has been seen that Indian batsmen are making special preparations to deal with Usman Tariq. Team India captain Suryakumar Yadav took the ball in his hands this time during the last net session on Saturday before the match. He looked like Usman Tariq while courting Abhishek Sharma and Rinku Singh.
Both India and Pakistan have four points each as the Men in Blue are on top in terms of run rate. The winner of this match will be the second team from South Africa to book their place in the Super 8 on Saturday.
Also read: Suryakumar Yadav, once reported for suspicious action, becomes ‘India’s Usman Tariq’ before IND vs PAK match