Ponting wants quicks to rise to Ashes challenge

Australia captain Ricky Ponting wants his inexperienced pace attack to make their mark in Ashes history after fast bowler Brett Lee was ruled out of the first cricket Test against England.

Australia captain Ricky Ponting wants his inexperienced pace attack to make their mark in Ashes history after fast bowler Brett Lee was ruled out of the first cricket Test against England.

HT Image

Lee was forced to withdraw less than 48 hours before tomorrow's series opener with England here at Sophia Gardens after damaging an abdominal muscle in his left side.

Now the 32-year-old, who has taken 310 wickets in 76 Tests, could be out until at least the third match of the series at Edgbaston.

His absence means Australia will go into the opening match with an attack where no-one has yet bowled a ball in Test cricket in Britain.

However, Australia know about life without Lee.

Foot and ankle surgery after the 2008 Boxing Day Test loss to South Africa in Melbourne ruled him out of this year's return series in South Africa.

But the likes of left-arm quick Mitchell Johnson helped inspire Australia to a 2-1 away series win and now Ponting is looking for more of the same.

"Reputations and legend are generally made out of these bigger series and there is no bigger series than an Ashes series to do that," Ponting told reporters.