Ashes 2023: Marnus Labuschagne, head of Travis get the help of Ricky Ponting before the Lord’s Test

Australian batters Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head struggled in the Ashes 2023 opener against England in Edgbaston.

London: Former captain Ricky Ponting has provided technical advice to Australian batsmen Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head to counter England’s bowling attack ahead of the second Ashes Test starting Wednesday at the Lord’s.

Australia won the opening Test at Edgbaston, Birmingham by two wickets in what was the first match of the new ICC World Test Championship cycle. There were some impressive individual performances, but Labuschagne and Head struggled in the Ashes opener.

Ponting wants Labuschagne to go back to basics to find success, and has offered the 28-year-old right-hander one-on-one time. ‘I’m waiting for them to ask me. It’s not my place, I’m not one of the coaches, I’m just a player from the past sitting back and analyzing what a lot of these guys are doing,” Ponting said in the ICC Review.

“But I’d like to talk to him (Labuschagne) and have a chat about his batting skills because I think what I’ve seen over the last few weeks, as far as I’m concerned, I think he overcomplicates things a little bit.

“I think he needs to trust and believe in what has made him the number 2 ranked Test batsman over the past few years and rely on that again. In fact, I’d like to tell him to watch a video of when he’s really played at his best, remember those things, and do it all over again.

Ponting also believes Head needs to work out a plan to get through that initial phase of English bowlers’ bouncing attacks. “First, he will now be aware that it is going to happen. He will expect that”, said the legendary hitter.

“I think he needs to work on it in his head. What’s the best way for him to fight that kind of bowling? Will it be to tackle it? Will he succeed if he tries to hit balls that are in his body? hooks and pulls Does he find a way to be able to bend over and weave and get a little better out of the way and try to carry bowlers down?

Ponting believes the main threat to Head going into the second Test will be Mark Wood’s pace if England decide to field him.

“Stuart Broad was probably their fastest bowler last week. Ben Stokes has been the enforcer for England in the past, but his body doesn’t allow him to fill that role for England either.

“If you come into Lord’s, it could be Mark Wood. They could include Wood on the team, which offers something different. He’s obviously a lot faster and throws a really good short ball,” he said.

“He (chief) needs to be aware of it, and if there’s only one bowler on the team that he thinks he can do, find a way to get through that one spell.”