Prior to the second Ashes Test, Ricky Ponting provides Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head with technical advice

Before the second Ashes Test, which begins on Wednesday at the Lord’s, former captain Ricky Ponting gave technical advise to Australia hitters Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head on how to deal with England’s bowling attack.

Australia defeated England by two wickets in the first Test of the new ICC World Test Championship cycle, which was played at Edgbaston, Birmingham.

A few of the individual performances were outstanding, but Labuschagne and Head struggled in the Ashes opening.

Ponting has provided Labuschagne, a 28-year-old right-hander, one-on-one time in order to help him go back to the fundamentals and achieve success.

“I’ll hold off till they arrive and ask me. Ponting said in the ICC Review, “It’s not my position, I’m not one of the coaches, I’m simply a previous player who is sitting back and assessing what a lot of these people are doing.

However, I would want to speak with Labuschagne about his batting because from what I’ve observed over the last few weeks, I believe he is overcomplicating things a little bit. He has to return to his previous level of faith and belief in what has made him the No. 2 Test batting for the last several years. I would really advise him to review a film of himself performing at his peak, keep in mind those elements, and repeat that performance.

Ricky Ponting agrees with Head that a strategy is necessary to get through the England bowlers’ early burst of bouncy assaults.

“First of all, he will now be aware that it will happen. He’ll anticipate that, the renowned hitter remarked. I believe he has to practise this in his own thinking. How can he effectively counteract that style of bowling? Will it be possible to take it on? Will he be successful if he attempts to hook and draw balls into his body? Does he discover a method to improve his ability to duck and weave, get out of the way, and attempt to wear out bowlers?

Ponting predicts that if England chooses to send Mark Wood in the second Test, his speed will pose the biggest danger to Head.

“I think their fastest bowler last week was Stuart Broad. Ben Stokes has served as England’s enforcer in the past, but his health will prevent him from continuing in that capacity. Mark Wood might be entering Lord’s. They could add Wood to the group since he provides a little something different. He certainly bowls a much better short ball and is much faster, the man added.

“He (Head) has to be aware of it, and if there is only one bowler in the team that he thinks can do it, then find a way to get through that one spell.”