Ponting wants first ball in Adelaide Test to be a bouncer in line with fabric of game

Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has called on current skipper Michael Clarke and pace express Mitchell Johnson to stick to their aggressive brand of cricket in their first Test against India in light of late batsman Phillip Hughes' passing.

Ponting believes that if Australia is to make a successful return to Test cricket in the wake of Hughes' passing then Johnson should bowl a bouncer to Indian opener Murali Vijay with his very first ball.

The former skipper wrote in his column for Espncricinfo.com that the bouncer's part of the fabric of the game, and if Australia is not playing in the aggressive way they did last summer then they're not actually playing in what he believes is the spirit of Test match cricket.

Ponting claims that in his speech at the funeral, Clarke talked about the spirit of the game and how important it is, and added that to him that spirit is a really aggressive nature and attitude, a fierce will to win. He hopes that comes out at the start of this series in Adelaide, News.com.au reported.

Ponting believes that the Indians helped set the tone for the game by bouncing a Cricket Australia XI in last week's tour match, including a Varun Aaron delivery which struck Jordan Silk on the helmet.

Ponting pointed out that India certainly won't be taking a backward step, adding that the tourists' bowlers showed on Friday in the tour game against a Cricket Australia XI that they would not be shy about delivering bouncers.

The veteran of 168 Tests said that it was important for the Australian batsmen to face short bowling in the nets, particularly from express quicks Johnson and Ryan Harris.

Ponting stated that to be well prepared, one needs to be confronting what they are going to get in a game.