The Ashes | Ricky Ponting lambasts Joe Root, questions his lack of authority over bowlers

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who has also earned a name for himself with his eye for details as coach and broadcaster, has lambasted England skipper Joe Root after his comments on the bowlers’ inability to learn from their mistakes in the post-match presentation ceremony in Adelaide.

Ponting was very critical of Root’s admission and feeling of being helpless at the hands of indisciplined bowlers and questioned his authority over the side if he can’t even influence bowlers into bowling line and length that he believes is most suited to the conditions.

He also urged Root to take control of the situation and not to get swayed by the weight of experience the bowling attack has. He asked Root to let his bowlers know of what he expects of them and take decisive decisions such as taking them off after their inability to deliver instead of letting things happen and then making an analysis after the conclusion of the game.

"I nearly fell off my seat when I heard that. Whose job is it then to make them change? Why are you captain then? If you can't influence your bowlers on what length to bowl, what are you doing on the field?” Ponting said of Root's post-match remarks.

"Joe Root can come back and say whatever he likes but if you're captain, you've got to be able to sense when your bowlers aren't bowling where you want them to. And if they're not going to listen, you take them off, simple as that.”

"Give someone else a chance that is going to do it for you. Or you have a really strong conversation with them on the field to tell them what you need. That's what captaincy is all about.”

England slipped to another big defeat in the Day-Night Test in Adelaide and things are not looking any better for the tourists in the next three Tests of the series with the expected return of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood for Australia.