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Zimbabwe v Australia, 1st ODI, Harare

Ponting: 'We were a bit rusty'

Wisden Cricinfo staff

May 25, 2004

Ricky Ponting on his way to a 93-ball 91 © Getty Images

Ricky Ponting has promised that Australia will turn in a far more clinical performance in the second and third one-dayers against Zimbabwe later this week. Although Australia won the first game at a canter, the manner of their seven-wicket win, and especially the way that they allowed Zimbabwe to score 205 for 9, was disappointing.

"We were a bit rusty in the field and with the ball, but we batted really well," Ponting admitted afterwards. "We weren't as sharp as we could have been in the field. A lot of the guys haven't played for a couple of months, so it was a good game to get under our belt. We should do better next time around."

Ponting could be satisfied with his own performance - he made 91 from 93 balls before falling to an excellent one-handed diving catch by Vusi Sibanda on the long-on boundary. "It got a bit tight," Ponting smiled. "I needed the last nine runs left in the game. But I got out to a pretty good catch so I can't complain."

But Tatenda Taibu, Zimbabwe's captain, was delighted with his side's performance after most pundits had forecast that they would be crushed. "I asked my batsmen to give it their best shot, and I thought they did that." But he added that the bowlers had room for improvement.