Melbourne, Dec 27: After being welcomed with a blow to his jaw by Umesh Yadav, Ricky Ponting went on to score a fluent 62 runs to steady Australia’s innings on Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test. The veteran cricketer was involved in a 113-run partnership with debutant Ed Cowan for the third wicket before being sent back by the young Indian pacer. The former Australia captain spoke to the media about his batting before the start of play on Day 2.

Excerpts from the brief media interaction:

On his fifty on the first day of the Boxing Day Test

This is one of the Test matches that we look forward to in the calendar year after year. 70,000 fans here yesterday supporting the Australian and Indian cricket teams, I thought was a really good turnout. It’s been noisy at different times; it was loud when I reached my fifty […] It makes it a bit more enjoyable when you’ve got a crowd.

On whether he feels the pressure to score a century

You just want to do the best that you can do for the team; as individual players that’s the reason you try as hard as you do to try get hundreds every time you get to bat. It doesn’t always happen but you try to give yourself the best chance to make sure that happens. My preparation has been very good and to spend a fair bit of time yesterday [at the crease] and to make 60-odd [runs] was nice. [...] 277 on the first day of play is going to tell a real big story in the game now.

On whether it was tough to keep one’s emotions away from the game

I think you want to keep the emotions there. I think you want the play to be emotional at times. Certainly for [those of us] who have been around a long time and played a while [...] You have to manage your emotions as best as you possibly can but when the guys are playing with their hearts on their sleeves, generally they are playing their best cricket. So that’s certainly the way I have played my cricket and the way most Australians enjoy their cricket as well.