Past loss spurs on Aussies
03/11/2010 08:04:24 PM
Memories of the 3-0 loss to New Zealand in the 2007 Chappell-Hadlee Trophy series were a big motivating factor for several members of the Australian side who gained their revenge by sealing the 2010 edition with a match to spare in Auckland on Thursday.
Ponting was delighted with the way his side had responded to the disappointment of the first-up loss to turn things around, especially when New Zealand had made good starts in each game.
"Sometimes it is hard to really reverse momentum in one-day cricket but we have been able to do that really well in the last few games in particular," Ponting said.
"I thought today was a really good example of that, the fact that they were off to such a flying start, we probably weren't our best with the ball early on but we probably just kept attacking."
"We set pretty attacking fields again and I just told the bowlers to keep hitting their areas and if they keep playing big shots hopefully we'll take some chances. And that's the way it worked out."
New Zealand had used the pace of the bowlers and the pace off the wicket especially well, but once the slower bowlers came on it was a lot harder to hit the ball away.
"We restricted them there, we took those boundaries and created the chances which we took," Ponting said.
"So once we started taking wickets, the momentum got back in our favour (and) it was going to be hard for them to post the figure they were looking to post earlier on."