Australia's World Cup squad flew out for India on Wednesday night with Ricky Ponting back in charge, and determined to play both practice matches before the tournament starts. Ponting has been sidelined since the Boxing Day Test due to a broken finger, but he said he was feeling good after his time away from the game and was pleased with the team's 6-1 win over England in his absence.
"I'm feeling fresh after a month on the sidelines," Ponting told reporters before flying out of Sydney. "I'm obviously looking forward to getting back into proper training and more importantly back into international cricket.
"It's been a while between games for me and sitting back watching the guys play has been pretty difficult, but to see them play as well as they have has been very satisfying. I am very proud of what they did and we are in good shape at the moment. We've just got to keep improving in the next few weeks and make sure we are right at the big end of the tournament."
The Australians have not lost a World Cup match since 1999, and while the same result this time around is unlikely, Ponting was happy with what he saw from the side under Michael Clarke over the past month. The six wins included a big chase of 334 that came down to the last over, and another successful pursuit in Sydney, where David Hussey rescued the side.
"The last few results were really satisfying against a pretty good English team," Ponting said. "The most satisfying thing for me was that when we were down and out and looked like getting beaten we found a way to win games, which I think has been a trademark of good Australian teams for a long time now."
Ponting hoped Hussey could be the perfect replacement for his brother Michael, who has been ruled out due to a hamstring injury. "I have been really happy to see David progress the way that he has," he said. "This time to me he looks better, more composed and a more confident player."
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