Not worried by ‘grinder’ tag: Ricky Ponting

Perth: Not wasting a moment on Indian pacer Zaheer Khan’s comment that Ricky Ponting is a Test grinder, the former skipper said he was comfortable with his game after his century at the SCG, and believed further riches were just around the corner.

“There’s more than one way to skin a cat. I’ve had to work really hard on my game the last few months and I feel like I’ve made some progress in the last few weeks,” Ponting said on Wednesday about his ability to make runs this summer. “I don’t think any of us...have been focused on or worried about what the Indian team have been doing,” he said. Ponting said the pressure was squarely on the tourists, The Herald Sun reports. “I think our fast bowling group right through this series have been able to build pressure at both ends, I think that``s what Brad was trying to say. We’re hoping to keep India under pressure for a bit longer,” Ponting said. Ponting said something finally clicked for him during his crucial innings of 134 Sydney. “The biggest challenge for me...was getting quality time in the middle. The first 30 or 40 runs the first morning (of the second Test) I was probably battling myself a little bit. “I’m not going to rest on one hundred. I’ve always said that if I got to those three figures that I’d push hard again,” he said. Ponting said he would wait to make his judgement, but conceded the seam-friendly deck at WACA was starting to “get some of its old character back.” Bureau Report