MELBOURNE, Nov 10: Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said on Monday he will seek an explanation from Test captain Ricky Ponting over his much-criticised bowling tactics in the final Test against India.

Cricket writers and commentators were stunned by what they saw as his efforts to improve Australia’s sluggish over rate rather than going for broke to try and win the vital Nagpur Test.

Under International Cricket Council regulations, a captain can face a ban for his team’s slow over rate.

Sutherland was careful not to criticise the skipper, but told reporters here he wanted to know what prompted his decision-making.

“I haven’t had a chance to talk to Ricky today about what went on during the tea break [on the fourth day] and what the messages were that came from the umpires,” he said.

“But clearly he and [coach] Tim Nielsen, who are the leaders on the ground there in terms of tactics, they would have made whatever judgments they thought were most appropriate in the circumstances.”

Asked if he was concerned, Sutherland said: “I might be concerned, I might not be, it depends on ... getting a really clear understanding of the circumstances that ensured we played the way we did after the tea break.

“It’s not something I do every day, but at various stages I see that’s part of my responsibility as chief executive, just to get a feel [of the situation].”

Sutherland laughed off suggestions that Ponting should face CA sanction for Sunday’s tactics.

Media reports said Ponting eased the pressure on India when he pressed part-time slow bowlers Michael Hussey and Michael Clarke into the attack in the final session of the fourth day’s play, apparently to make up for a slow over rate.

One writer described it as Ponting’s worst day as national captain.

“Ricky Ponting had every reason to hang his head in shame,” Jon Pierik of The Daily Telegraph said.

“In his most embarrassing moment in his 48th Test as Test captain in five years in charge, Ponting opted to worry more about improving Australia’s sluggish over rate than going for broke to try and snare a must-win match.

“Ponting — amazingly — was more concerned about being suspended for next week’s first Test against cricketing backwater New Zealand at the Gabba.”

Malcolm Conn of The Australian wrote: “In what must surely be Ricky Ponting’s worst day as national captain he may have cost Australia the Border-Gavaskar Trophy by attempting to save himself from suspension.”

In the television commentary box at the ground, Allan Border, the former Australian captain whose name adorns the trophy, was incredulous.

They go into the tea break on a high and come out worrying about over rates,” Border said.

The Sydney Morning Herald cricket columnist Peter Roebuck said it was one of the most baffling displays of captaincy seen in the long and proud history of Australian cricket.—AFP