Ponting claims mental advantage

Despite England’s confidence-boosting draw in the first Test, Ricky Ponting feels it's Australia that have the psychological advantage going to Lord’s.

The Ashes series started with a thriller in Cardiff, with only last-day batting heroics from Paul Collingwood, James Anderson and Monty Panesar helping the home side avoid a heavy defeat.

The gutsy fifth-day display though seemed to lift the England fans and they can only hope the result had a similar effect on the players, as they prepare for the second Test at the home of cricket.

England’s Ashes record at Lord’s is appalling though, having not beaten Australia there since 1934, and Ponting has been talking his squad up ahead of what looks like a crucial second Test.

When asked whether the impetus had swung in England’s favour, Ponting insisted: "They can be happy with what they have done, only losing seven wickets in 98 overs on the final day, but I am not sure they will look at it like a win.

"They are not 1-0 up and had been outplayed for four days in this Test match. We know what we have done well here.”

The Aussie skipper added: “We did so many things really well and we've got to take the confidence from that down to Lord's and make sure we start there on the same note.”

The main worry for the England selectors is that the bowlers don’t look like taking ten wickets, let alone twenty wickets – with their cause unlikely to be helped by the flat, non-spinning pitch expected at Lord’s.

Ponting though only needs to look back to 2005 before getting overly confident, when after being outplayed in the first Test – at Lord’s – England bounced back to win the series and win back the urn.

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