NSW success cost us,says Ponting as injury list swells

Ahead of the second ODI,he seemed to focus only on the negatives. “We had three players fly in and get to the hotel at 8.30pm Saturday night and we’re leaving the hotel at 7am on match morning. There was not much time for us to get our team tactics in order. We had a team meeting after training and those blokes were not even here,” Ponting was quoted as saying by an Australian news agency.

The visitors won the first match of the seven-match series in Vadodara on Saturday but looked lacklustre while defending a big total and,despite dominating the game for most parts,allowed India to come within four runs of the target. Pace spearhead Brett Lee,who was part of the NSW team that lifted the T20 title,could bowl only six overs of his quota because of a sore elbow.

On Monday,the Australian team management confirmed that Lee,along with Mitchell Johnson,were doubtful starters for the second one-dayer in Nagpur,while all-rounder James Hopes has been ruled out. Johnson had twisted an ankle while fielding in Vadodara,while Hopes picked up a hamstring injury.

Australian coach Tim Nielsen too had said before the series that he wasn’t pleased about the fact that the team couldn’t be together in the build-up to the series,with players from New South Wales and Victoria busy with the Champions League. “I am going to raise this issue with the Australian cricket board as it is very important for the entire tour party to be together,” he said.

“There’s a lot of cricket being played but different governing boards and cricket administrators need to make sure that they don’t kill the game for the public,that their interest is sustained. They should ensure that players have enough rest so every time they go out,the players can give their best.”