In a riveting commentary stint on Channel 7 during the ongoing second Test in Melbourne, Ricky Ponting, renowned for his World Cup triumphs, delved into the challenges faced by Pakistan’s opener, Abdullah Shafique.

Ponting’s astute analysis honed in on Shafique’s footwork, identifying striking similarities leading to his dismissals. “In both innings, Shafique’s foot placement lacked coverage of the off stump,” Ponting highlighted. “This resulted in shots away from his body, leading to his downfall.”

The cricketing legend further dissected, “The replication of footwork in both innings, directing the front foot straight down the pitch, caused the ball to evade his line of sight.”

Read more:Australia’s Usman Khawaja has been denied permission to place a peace symbol on his bat

Pointing out the relatively straight front knee during Shafique’s shots, Ponting elucidated, “A straight knee often leads to misjudging the ball’s trajectory. In Australia, it’s crucial to track the ball better, bringing it closer to the knee for precise shots.”

Shafique’s struggle continued in today’s play, tallying just 4 runs against Mitchell Starc following his commendable 62-run contribution in the initial innings, cut short by Pat Cummins in the opening over.

Facing a daunting target of 317 runs set by the home side, Pakistan encountered a shaky start with the early dismissals of both openers, Imam and Shafique. However, Shan Masood’s aggressive gameplay added 60 crucial runs to the tally, while Babar Azam’s battle persisted, contributing 41 runs. Pakistan, halfway through their side down, confronts an uphill task, requiring over 100 runs to secure victory in the challenging Test battle.