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News

Melbourne conditions will suit Australia

Ricky Ponting says Australia will carry their momentum into Sunday's game against India in Melbourne

Brydon Coverdale
Brydon Coverdale
09-Feb-2008

Ricky Ponting hopes for better luck against India after a wash-out in the opening game in Brisbane © Getty Images
 
Ricky Ponting says Australia will carry their momentum into Sunday's game against India in Melbourne after his side demolished Sri Lanka by 128 runs at the SCG. India are coming off two wash-outs in Brisbane, whereas Australia enjoyed using a two-paced pitch on Friday.
With further low bounce expected at the MCG, Ponting hopes his men will have the edge. "We've got a full game of cricket and a really good, comprehensive win," Ponting said after the Sydney success, which put them on top of the CB Series table.
"We're probably going to get similar types of conditions in Melbourne as well. The wicket all year down there hasn't offered much pace and bounce either, so what we've got out of this game we can take down there and hopefully adapt to their attack and adapt to their batting line-up."
Nathan Bracken collected five wickets in Sydney, switching from a three-over new-ball spell of swing to useful cutters later in the innings. Ponting was especially pleased with the variety in his bowling arsenal with Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson and Brad Hogg all chipping in with important breakthroughs.
"We've got a really good mix and balance with our bowling attack in both forms of the game right now," he said. "Our one-day attack the last couple of years has been very solid."
India will be desperate to get a full match in at the MCG following their rain-affected Gabba clashes and Ponting said the visitors had shown glimpses of their potential. "They played pretty well up in Brisbane the other night with the bat," he said of India's effort in posting 267 against Sri Lanka.
"But certainly our bowlers controlled them in Brisbane a few days before that. Hopefully we can just take a bit of momentum out of this game down to Melbourne on Sunday."

Brydon Coverdale is a staff writer at Cricinfo