'I Was A Little Surprised...,' Ricky Ponting Questions Mitchell Starc's Snub From The 1st Ashes Test

Ricky Ponting [Image- Sky Sports]

Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has expressed his astonishment at the visitors decision to bench left-arm seamer Mitchell Starc for Josh Hazlewood in the opening Ashes Test at Edgbaston.

Ahead of the Test match, Australia had only one selection conundrum. With Starc faring poorly in the recent WTC final against India, there were calls to include the metrimonic right-arm seamer in the form of Josh Hazlewood.

However, Ponting had always maintained in the build-up that Australia should persist with Starc as his left-arm angle is a point of difference in an attack dominated by right-arm seamers, and also because of the fact that Hazlewood has played very little cricket in the past few months.

Hazlewood has been constantly troubled with injuries in the past 15 months, forcing him to miss a lot of Test cricket.

“I must admit I was a little surprised. Mitchell Starc wasn’t at his best last week, there’s no doubt about that. He was three months without games leading into that game, as was Pat Cummins, who also looked a little out of his rhythm,” said Ponting on Sky Sports Cricket.

However, on Friday, the New South Wales cricketer showcased why he is one of the best of his era as he prized out the key scalps of Ben Duckett and England skipper Ben Stokes.

At the end of Day 1, England declared their innings on 393 for 8, with Joe Root scoring his 30th Test century.

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