Delhi Capitals (DC) head coach Ricky Ponting debunked the myth surrounding his spring bat that he had used in the 2003 World Cup Final against India at Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg.
Ricky Ponting was accused of reportedly using the spring in bat to his advantage in the title clash against the Men in Blue as he smashed eight sixes during his unbeaten 140-run knock to help Australia post a solid total of 359/2. It was rumoured that the former Australian captain used the spring in his bat so that it would helping him in generating more power and distance in his shots.
Over 20 years after Australia's third World Cup triumph, Ricky Ponting is still being asked whether he had used the spring in his bat. In 2020, the two-time World Cup-winning captain shared the picture of his bat used in the 2003 World Cup final but the netizens trolled him by asking him to show the bat with spring in it.
In a video shared by Delhi Capitals on its X handle (formerly Twitter), an influencer playfully teased Ricky Ponting to reveal details about his spring bat used in the 2003 World Cup final. DC head coach said that he did use spring bat for the World Cup final. After the hilarious conversation, Ponting himself debunked myth about spring bat, stating that he never heard of it.
"Spring bat? I've never even heard of a spring bat. What is a spring bat? Is it in the handle? Is it inside the face of the bat? I've never heard of it. Obviously been spoken about a lot here in India, not in Australia. There is no such thing as a spring bat. You should all go and do your homework." Ponting said in a fun interview.
Talking about the 2003 World Cup Final, Australia thrashed India by 125 runs to lift then-record third title of the prestigious tournament. After posting a total of 359/2, Australia bowling attack bundled out the Men in Blue for 234 in 39.2 overs. Pace spearhead Glenn McGrath picked three wickets while Brett Lee and Andrew Symonds picked two scalps each.
Virender Sehwag was the top-scorer for India in the final as he scored 82 off 81 balls while the second best score was 47 by Rahul Dravid.
Delhi Capitals occupy sixth spot on the points table
Meanwhile, under the guidance of Ricky Ponting, Delhi Capitals are having decent campaign thus far in the ongoing IPL season. DC had a start disappointing start to their season as they lost initial two matches on the trot against Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals.
DC opened their account against Chennai Super Kings before facing two losses on the trot against Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders. However, Rishabh Pant-led side bounced back with two successive wins against Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans. DC again suffered a defeat at the hands of Sunrisers Hyderabad.
In the last match against Gujarat Titans, DC registered fourth win of the season and moved to sixth spot on the points table with 8 points after nine games.
Delhi Capitals will play their next match against Mumbai Indians at Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on April 27, Saturday.
