By IANS
Bangalore : Australian captain Ricky Ponting and his deputy Adam Gilchrist Thursday praised Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni for his leadership qualities and pacer S. Sreesanth for his on-field aggression.
“Leading a team to such a triumph (in the inaugural Twent20 World Championships) just after taking over as captain is a great achievement,” Ponting said at a press meet ahead of the Sep 29 one-day international here.
“He has done a pretty good job for the team. The captain is as good as the team. Lot of players stood up,” he said.
“One of the main reasons for India’s triumph in South Africa was that the side was well-led,” remarked Gilchrist.
“Dhoni did a terrific job. He handled himself with a lot of dignity off the field, while on it he seemed to have a cool mind and a well-planned strategy, all qualities of a good captain. The team also played the big moments very well,” the wicketkeeper batsman added.
“Dhoni is very decent off the field and on it. We have not seen him much as a captain but he has done pretty good for his team. He has come good in the Twenty20. As we play more, we will know about his qualities as captain,” he felt.
On Sreesanth’s on-field aggression, Ponting said his team would respond in good measure to impose itself on India.
“I know how it is going to be out there. That’s what fast bowling is all about. I expect all the guys in our side to play with lot of aggression and be very positive with the way they go about things. We expected it from him,” he said.
“Sreesanth did a good job in the Twenty20 and his body language is something that is needed sometimes in the game.
“We will come out as aggressively as we possibly can in this series and impose ourselves on the Indians. If we do that, I am sure we will go a long way in winning the series,” he said.
“Cricket is generally all about putting pressure on the opposition.
“This is what fast bowlers do nowadays. Now he is at home and is in a confident frame of mind. You can expect some strong body language from him this time too,” Ponting said.