Australia great Ricky Ponting, commentating in the ongoing Australia-India Test series, was lauded for his brilliant prediction of Prithvi Shaw’s dismissal in the Adelaide Test, but also copped criticism after his prophetic on-air observation.

Ponting almost exactly predicted Shaw’s dismissal moments before Mitchell Starc castled him for a second-ball duck, leaving India at 0-1 in the opening over of the first Test.

While Shaw, partnering Mayank Agarwal at the top, readied himself to face Starc, Ponting said: “He has got a little chink in his armour, I think it’s the ball that does come back into him. Very comfortable playing the ball away from his body, he does get his head in the line of the ball, plays under his eyes, but he doesn’t commit his front foot to the line of the ball.”

As Starc began his run-up, Ponting continued: “Quite often leaves a big gap between the bat and pad, and that’s where the Aussies will target. Starc will try to swing one back through the gate.”

As soon as Ponting finished his sentence, Starc bowled a half-volley that Shaw tried to have a poke at, but only managed to find an inside edge, sending the ball onto his own stumps.

As expected, Twitter was filled with comments lauding Ponting’s brilliant reading of the game.

As brilliant as the prediction was, it didn’t go down too well with a section of Twitter, who couldn’t help but point out that Shaw was actually under Ponting’s tutelage for the better part of the last two months. Ponting is the head coach at IPL team Delhi Capitals, and Shaw endured a disappointing second half of the 2020 edition, managing three ducks in the last six innings.

https://twitter.com/BhaviLivelife/status/1339436870942380032

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Prithvi ShawRicky PontingAustralia v IndiaSeries Editorial