It’s interesting to note that Ponting wasted little time in recognising Kemar Roach’s deadly bounce and velocity. The former captain of the world team remembered a famous Test match from 2009 that took place in Perth. Interestingly, the WACA pitch is well-known for being the “fastest pitch” in the world. Remembering how badly Roach had bruised him on the 22-yard line during their match, Ponting, who still harbors a bittersweet but vivid memory of the West Indian’s deadly bowling, brought it up to the West Indian.
The continuing Pink ball Test between Australia and the West Indies at the storied Gabba is turning into a real barn burner. More than the Australians, though, a number of cricket experts and enthusiasts are enthusiastic about a resilient Caribbean team that rebounded magnificently after losing the top order quickly. Joshua Da Silva, Kevin Sinclair, and Kavem Hodge all put up strong batting performances in a combined comeback to keep the visitors in the game.
It’s interesting to note that things didn’t work out much better for the hosts, as Australia too quickly lost their top order, reeling at 54/4 at one point. After that, half-centuries from Alex Carey and Australia’s captain Pat Cummins kept the hosts in the hunt. Amidst all of this, the legendary Australian Ricky Ponting was greatly impressed by one fiery West Indian pacer. It was none other than Kemar Roach, the seasoned veteran. As a result, Roach spoke with Ricky Ponting and the cricket experts in a special interview following the end of Day 2 of the Brisbane Pink-ball Test about his bowling in the first innings.
Remember when Ricky Ponting, who was only batting 23 runs at the time, ended up injuring his elbow during the brutal struggle between the bat and the ball? He eventually made it to number nine in Australia’s second innings. That did not, however, deter the all-powerful Australians from winning the match by 35 runs. However, Roach had other plans and comically shot back at Ponting, claiming that he could have handled his pace more skillfully.
However, the humor continued after that. Further, Ricky Ponting said that Kemar Roach probably bowled faster in Adelaide than most bowlers had ever done at the stadium, in addition to troubling the Australian batting lineup in Perth. Furthermore, Ponting spoke with some people in the prestigious Indian Premier League (IPL) and did not hesitate to humbly remind the West Indian that he still owed him a significant amount of money. This undoubtedly made it easier for the pacer to get the much desired IPL contract.
“I’ve actually been saying for ages that Kemar still owes me approximately 1.5 million dollars since, immediately after that (period), he was selected in the IPL auction. Recalling a then-young Roach, Ponting stated, “I remember telling the boys he actually bowled a faster spell in Adelaide (during that 2009–2010 tour) than Perth.” The interview was on Channel 7.
We had a chat with Kemar Roach, so naturally we had to ask if he and Ricky Ponting still get along okay
#AUSvWI pic.twitter.com/sNQ9E0IQeM
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) January 27, 2024
It all comes down to having fun and expressing yourself: Kemar Roach
Notably, Ricky Ponting was regarded as the greatest cricket ball puller of his day. Similarly, during the lighthearted conversation, Ricky Ponting asked Kemar Roach what he thought of his devastating bowling stint. The West Indian replied that, at the time, he was still fairly young and lacked many of the seam and swing qualities that he possesses now. In order to make things more difficult for any batter out there, he liked to go full bore against a batter and attempt to extract extra bounce in addition to sheer pace when he was younger. So the whole point was to get out there and start having fun while bowling as soon as possible.
“It’s simply about being yourself, being youthful, and having fun,” Roach remarked, playfully jabbing at Ponting.
But soon after Perth’s dream bowling came to an end, Kemar Roach was involved in an accident that made him slow down and concentrate more on delivering wicket-to-wicket line and length with a little seam movement. In an effort to restore the grandeur of the past for the Caribbean nation, Roach has taken on the responsibility of mentoring new bowlers in the West Indies during their current transition.
India
