The humiliation in Adelaide has opened up “serious wounds” for India and Australia now have a “good chance” of inflicting on the visitors a whitewash in the four-Test series, reckons former captain Ricky Ponting.
India were bundled out for their lowest-ever Test score of 36 in their second innings as Australia claimed an eight-wicket win in the pink-ball Test to take a 1-0 lead in the Border-Gavaskar trophy.
“Now there’s some serious wounds opened up. There could be a good chance (of a sweep),” Ponting told cricket.Com.Au.
“Let’s hope we do get a result in Melbourne and if we do, I think India’s going to find it really hard to bounce back and win a game.”
India will miss skipper Virat Kohli in the remaining three Tests as he returns home for the birth of his child and Ponting said it will be a real test for the visitors as they look to pick up the pieces under the captaincy of Ajinkya Rahane.
“We’ll learn a lot about them, won't we? With Kohli not being there as well there’s almost no one to pick them back up after a loss like that,” Ponting said.