Ricky Ponting stays cautious

“One of our main strengths is that we have the ability to play well in different conditions. Whether it is South Africa, England, Sri Lanka or India, our one-day form has been good. That is why probably we have an edge over most teams,” he said.

“A lot of credit should go to Troy Cooley, the way he’s handled the bowlers. He’s been to India in 2006 and has also had stints at the MRF Pace Academy. Troy helped the bowlers tremendously, spent time with them and Mitchell Johnson will be the first to tell you that he’s the biggest influence in his career so far,” Ponting said.

Ponting believes the team is well balanced and he adds that selectors have kept their trust in youngsters even in cases where there have been no immediate results. “To get into this Australian team is tough in its own way. But once you make it there, you are obviously talented and therefore, players are given decent opportunities to settle down. The physiotherapists, trainers and coaches spend a lot of time analysing the fitness levels of an individual and all that counts for a lot of preparation. Then they leave it to the players to get what they want from the training,” he said.

In the current series, especially with only two-day gaps between matches, Ponting said Australia haven’t really strained themselves physically during practice. “We have just tried to work on our skills and get it right for each game, keeping the conditions in mind.” Today, after a team meeting, they had an optional training session.