da brwin： Ricky Ponting and Shane Warne speak to the press after completing a clean sweep against Pakistan
Peter English05-Jan-2005
Ricky Ponting began the year with a fine double-hundred, but said the team had not played their best cricket© Getty Images
Ricky PontingOn rating the summer
We’ve played some very good cricket and we’ve playedsome that hasn’t been our absolute best. We getourselves in trouble but we get out of it very quickly- we’ve done it in both the series [against NewZealand and Pakistan].On winning the third Test
Today wasn’t our best cricket, we didn’t bowl all thatwell. Letting them get 60 runs ahead wasn’t our best.On the Warne-MacGill partnership
They are different types of bowlers. You can stillbowl them together and have confidence that they arenot going to be scored heavily against at each end.It’s very enjoyable having them both in the side.On why their results improved in this match
I thought they bowled better. In different timesduring the game they were trying to work in apartnership and that might have been the difference.On Shane Watson’s debut
He fitted into Test cricket really well and did a goodjob with the ball. He was surprisingly quick, bowlingover 140kmph at some times, and he looked comfortablewith the bat. In the future I’m sure he’ll play a lotmore Test cricket.On using the same balance in the future
Maybe, maybe not. It’s unusual for us of late to playtwo legspinners. Going to New Zealand, the wicketswill probably be flatter and won’t turn as much.Playing two legspinners is unlikely, so we’ll probablygo back to a more structured line-up.On resting players for the one-day series
They will be at different stages. I’d like 14 playersin the squad like we did for the Chappell-HadleeSeries. We’ve played nine Tests in 13 weeks so it ispretty taxing.Shane WarneOn his bowling
It’s nice bowling on this wicket. I was happy with mybowling, but I thought I was a bit inconsistent. I putthat down to being the end of the summer and being alittle bit weary. Another summer gone and anothersummer closer to the end. That’s my summer gone, butnow I can concentrate on Pura Cup cricket forVictoria.On coming back from his ban
I’ve played 13 Tests since I came back and got 75wickets so I believe I’m bowling as well as I everhave. I do feel fitter, fresher and more relaxed – myattitude is completely different. I’ve had anothergood summer.On bowling with MacGill
It worked pretty well. Out of the 18 wickets we got13, on a wicket like that the spinners should get atleast half the wickets. Having Shane Watson in theside helped, we generally only have four bowlers sothe quicks didn’t get over-bowled. Normally in thatsort of situation I’d bowl 40 overs but I bowled 24 or25 in the first innings. That worked pretty well.On the comparisons with MacGill
Stuey and I get on fine. I think the comparisons areunfair on Stuey. When we both play in a Test we enjoychatting to each other and talking about the match. Forme it’s the same mindset. We’re lucky, when we bring ina spinner, that we’ve got Stuey.On Pakistan’s performance
They’ve made 650 runs in two hits so I think they’replaying pretty well. Making that many runs, you aregoing to win a lot of games. Where it got away fromthem was Gilly and Punter’s partnership, and the wayGilly got his runs so quickly. A lot of people say weshould declare earlier, but sometimes it’s onlyhalf-way through the Test by the time we’re a coupleof hundred runs ahead.On Shoaib Akhtar
He gave his heart out and tried his best in theseries. He’s the fastest bowler in the world and got acouple of five-fors. He’s obviously not as fit in thisTest or he would have bowled more than 15 overs.On Danish Kaneria
Danish Kaneria bowled extremely well, he’s a realtalented bowler and I’d like to see him settle down abit more rather than rushing his bowling. Maybe hecould change his line because he bowls a little bitoutside off stump, which the batsmen can leave.