Adelaide, Jan 26: After raising a mountain of runs, Australia claimed two early wickets to leave India trailing by 543 runs with eight wickets in hand at the end of Day 2 of the Adelaide Test. Speaking to the media ahead of the third day’s play, double-centurion Ricky Ponting said it would be hard work for the bowlers on the batsman-friendly track to bowl India out twice.

Excerpts from Ponting’s television interview:

On today being a special day for both countries as 26th January is celebrated both as Australia Day and India’s Republic Day

It is a very special day. [...] It will be sold out today, there will be a lot of noise. Australia Day is a day that we all love playing on [and] I’m sure with the Indian Republic Day the Indians are feeling exactly the same way. It will be an extra special day in the Test match [...] Australia has to have a good day today and India has to have a good day today. So we’re look forward to a game of good cricket.

On whether the conditions on Day 3 were the toughest for the Australian bowlers so far in the series

It will be a very tough day. As you saw with the Indian bowlers, it was hard work for them for the first two days. Our bowlers will have to work exceptionally hard through the next three days to take 20 wickets in the win Test match.[...] We know what the wicket is going to play like and all the hard work that lies ahead for the bowling and fielding team.

On the bowlers needing the support of the fielders

Absolutely, we need to make and create as much pressure as we can in the ring. We need to hold [on to] our chances; we saw the Indians put down a couple of catches yesterday. We can’t afford to do that on these sorts of wickets against very good players so it’s my job and the rest of the guys’ today to make sure that we help the bowlers as best as we can.

On the Ponting foundation

Well, it’s a very humbling acknowledgement of sorts. It’s something I never really thought would come around. I have been doing my best on and off the field over the last 10-15 years. [...] I’m doing the best I can for my country, to help other young people in the country. My wife and I started the Ponting foundation four or five years ago. We have raised in excess of eight or nine million dollars to help children battling cancer [...].My wife is a huge part of this work. [...] So this award is really for the both of us.