Partnerships with bat and ball pivotal to Oz defeating India: Ponting

Chandigarh, Oct.1: Australian cricket team captain Ricky Ponting has said that partnerships, both with the bat and the ball, would be pivotal to side putting up a good performance agai I thought that's what we did particularly well in the tour game, our batting partnerships on day one and even late in the second innings were good, and when we started our first bowling innings were really good as well," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Ponting, as saying.

"I think we bowled 10 or 11 maidens out of the 35 overs we've bowled in that first day, and what that does is create pressure on the opposition so that's what it's all about. Our partnerships with the bat and ball will create pressure on them, and if we keep them under pressure then we're doing what we want to do,” he added.

Ponting further said: "As a batting group you know in this part of the world that starting your innings can be really difficult, so whenever you've got partnerships going you've got to make sure you get big partnerships, knowing there's a chance you can lose a couple of quick ones once that's over."

"We're talking about trying to build pressure and it only needs to be a rotation of strike to get a batter down the other end, whether it's a single or a bye, can lead to all that pressure you're building not being there anymore," said Ponting.

The Australians are currently fourth in the ICC Test rankings, but will slide to fifth if they lose the series, while a victory will take them to third, ahead of Sri Lanka but behind South Africa and the top-ranked Indians..