Neither Root, nor Williamson: Ponting picks rising star as current best Test batter
Legendary Australia cricketer Ricky Ponting has named his current best Test batter in the world and it’s none from the fab four club. The former Australia captain has picked England’s rising star Harry Brook, who was recently crowned the new number one batter in Test cricket.
Brook has been making giant strides in international cricket as he replaced his teammate Joe Root at the top spot in the ICC Test batting rankings. The 25-year-old holds the top position with 898 ratings to his name on the back of back-to-back centuries in the first two Tests against New Zealand.
Following his ascent to the top, Ponting hailed him as the best batter in the world at the moment mentioning his ability to score centuries away from home.
“He probably is the best Test batter in the world right now. He’s doing some pretty amazing things, most of them away from home. That’s his seventh hundred away from home out of eight or nine hundreds, and it’s the way he gets his runs–with class, and he does it quickly. I love watching him play,” Ponting was quoted as saying by ICC.
The Australian legend also revealed that his performances at the international level made him buy the England star during the IPL 2024 auction. Ponting, who was the head coach of Delhi Capitals, went after Brook and bought him for Rs 4 crore. However, the youngster had to pull out from the last edition due to personal reasons.
Harry Brook’s Test career so far
“I got him in the IPL auction last year because I think he is a generational type of player. I think he’s starting to show that now at Test level, and I believe he can do the same across all three formats,” he added.
Brook has scored 2280 runs from 23 Tests so far at an average of 61.62 and a strike rate of 88.57. The right-handed batter has scored eight hundreds and 10 fifties in his career so far out of which seven have come away from home. The young batting sensation will be eager to continue his form in the last Test against New Zealand as England aim to complete a 3-0 whitewash.
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