Watch: This is ‘fastest’ bowling spell Ricky Ponting ever faced
What is the 'fastest' bowling spell faced by Ricky Ponting? The former Australian captain has revealed it. You can watch it here. It was from Perth Test
FollowBengaluru: After speaking about the best over he ever faced in international cricket, former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has shared the video of the “fastest” bowling spell he ever faced in his illustrious career.
Recently, 45-year-old Ponting had picked England paceman Andrew Flintoff’s over during an Ashes Test in 2005 as the “best over” he had ever faced. Now, he has revealed the “fastest spell” of bowling he ever batted against. It was against Pakistan’s Shoaib Akhtar in Perth in a Test in 1999.
Also read: Ricky Ponting's 'best over' he ever faced
“Got plenty of questions the other day after calling the Flintoff over the best I'd faced. This from @shoaib100mph was the fastest spell I'd ever faced and trust me Justin wasn't backing up too far at the other end (sic),” Ponting tweeted on Wednesday (April 15) with a short clip from that over.
Ponting avoids a bouncer from Akhtar on his way to a score of 197 runs, during day two of the third Test at the WACA ground in Perth on November 27, 1999
Despite this fastest spell, Ponting, batting at No. 6, scored a superb 197 in that Test and Australia won by an innings and 20 runs. Justin Langer made 144 in the same match. Akhtar took only one wicket (Langer) but had hit the 150 kmph mark.
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In 2011, when Akhtar announced his retirement, Ponting had mentioned about this Test at the WACA ground and also had said Akhtar was the fastest bowler he faced in international cricket.
Akhtar celebrates dismissing captain Ponting during the second day of the second Test match at the MCG in Melbourne, December 27, 2004
Ponting had said, “I had some great duels with Shoaib over the years. To this day, I’ve always said he’s the fastest bowler that I’ve ever faced in international cricket. There’s one spell that everyone can watch on the internet of him bowling to me at the WACA. That was reasonably entertaining - more so for Justin Langer, who was at the other end laughing at me all the time when I was trying to keep Shoaib's deliveries out.
“He was express pace, a very, very good bowler. Over the years he’s had his fair share of injuries that have not allowed him to play as much as he would have liked. But even in this tournament so far, you can see that he's still got it with the new ball. He still has good pace, and his experience has helped him at different times as well. Congratulations to him on what has been an outstanding career.”
Ponting played in a joint Australian record of 168 Tests. He also featured in 375 ODIs and 17 T20Is. Akhtar won 46 Test, 163 ODI and 15 T20I caps.
