Cricket: Ponting's possible last test on home turf

Ricky Ponting. Photo / Getty Images

Just inside the main entrance to Bellerive Oval is a sculpture of Tasmania's favourite cricket son, David Boon.

The piece has the former batsman and now international match referee driving extravagantly, and while the moustache is suitably luxuriant, the sculptor has been kind to Boon's generously proportioned physique.

Just how the good people of Tasmanian cricket will honour their other champion, Ricky Ponting, when he retires remains to be seen.

Ponting is preparing for what may be the seventh and last test on his home patch. Strictly speaking, he hails from Launceston, 160km away to the north, but in all other ways this is his manor.

All Australia's top six batsmen, with the exception of captain Michael Clarke, are under serious scrutiny. Ponting - 37 in 11 days and scorer of more test hundreds, 39, than anyone bar Sachin Tendulkar (51) and Jacques Kallis (40) - kept the wolves at bay with a fighting 60 to help win the second test in South Africa a couple of weeks ago, and made 78 in the first test against New Zealand.

The last time he was at Hobart he hit his most recent test ton, 209 against Pakistan 23 months ago, after being dropped on 0. He averages 80 over six tests at the ground.

So yesterday Ponting discoursed on all manner of cricketing matters, from that country's fast bowling stocks, to playing at home, to the New Zealand effort at Brisbane, to being a former captain still in the side (in Australian cricket when you step down as leader generally you also take your leave of the dressing room. Not Ponting, so far) and most subjects in between.

There's no question that New Zealand are viewed as the starter, in all senses, to this Australian summer. India arrive shortly for four tests and are regarded as the real deal.

Lack of interest in the New Zealanders is clearly evident, especially after their failure to hit many right notes at Brisbane, where they lost the first test inside four days by nine wickets.

To be fair, the chance of tackling Tendulkar and his fellow batting masters, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Virendar Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir quickens the Australian pulses far more than squaring off against Kane Williamson, Martin Guptill, Jesse Ryder and co.

That's simply a fact, so New Zealand should feel suitably stirred to raise their levels of performance when the second test starts tomorrow.

New Zealand's voice du jour yesterday was seamer Tim Southee, who talked of players having to take accountability for their performance in Brisbane.

"There were harsh words said. There's not much we can do about it now but learn from it.

"I don't think it's a lack of ability with the players we've got," he said. "The talent in the side is outstanding.

"We not only let ourselves down but the fans back home."

Southee insisted self belief remained intact within the New Zealand squad, despite the size of the loss against a team which included three test debutants and two other players with four and five tests to their credit.

"The guys were in great form, it's just a shame. Everyone has bad games; it happened that we had a pretty bad one in Brisbane. But the excitement is still around the camp and we've got two days to turn things around."