India vs Australia, 1st Test: Ricky Ponting predicted Prithvi Shaw's dismissal

Ponting, who was doing commentary for 7 cricket when play started at the Adelaide Oval, spoke about Shaw’s habit of leaving a gap between his bat and pad when facing in-coming deliveries.

“If he (Shaw) does have a chink in his armour it’s the ball which does come back into him,” Ponting, who has worked with Shaw at the IPL franchise Delhi Capitals, said after the Indian opener defended the match’s first ball.

India vs Australia 1st Test: Prithvi Shaw falls for a second-ball duck, gets trolled on Twitter

“He’s very comfortable playing the ball away from his body. He does get his head in line with the ball but he doesn’t commit his front foot to the line of the ball and quite often leaves a big gap between bat and pad and that’s where the Aussies will target. Starc will try and swing one back in the gate,” he added as Mitchell Starc started his run-up for the second ball.

And Ponting’s prediction proved right as Shaw went for a drive of Starc’s in-swinging ball, which took an inside edge and went on to hit the stumps.

“If he does have a chink in his armour it’s the ball which does come back into him…

“Quite often leaves a big gap between bat and pad and that’s where the Aussies will target.” @RickyPonting at his peerless best for the Prithvi Shaw wicket #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/4nh67zBcpU

— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) December 17, 2020

Shaw was selected ahead of Shubman Gill and KL Rahul in the Indian team, but the Mumbai player’s poor run of form continued. In the two warm-up games leading to Tursday’s Test against Australia, he had registered scores of 0, 19, 40 and 3 as opposed to Gill’s scores of 0, 29, 43 and 65.

(With Agency inputs)