Former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting has tipped Marco Jansen to become one of the best all-rounders in Test match cricket in the next few years. The lanky South African returned with impressive figures of 3-49 in the first innings against Australia in the World Test Championship final at Lord’s.

The left-arm bagged 1-31 in the second innings against the Aussies on Thursday. Jansen suffered a thumb injury while diving but still took the crucial wicket of Marnus Labuschagne with a full-pitched delivery.

Jansen can also contribute with the bat but he was dismissed for a duck in the first innings. Ponting noted that Jansen remains unfazed by the game situation and delivers under pressure.

“He’s pretty quiet and pretty laid back. Nothing really affects him too much. Regardless of if he’s had a great day or not such a great day, he remains the same person,” Ponting told ICC Digital after day one of the WTC Final.

“Whether that’s internally and the way that he thinks about the game or the way that he is around the dressing room. But I think like most South Africans, you can tell there’s an ultra competitive streak inside him. And once he gets out on the field, then it’s game on,” Ponting, who coached Jansen in the Punjab Kings setup in IPL 2025.

The two-time World Cup-winning captain expects Jansen to show further improvements in his game in the coming years.

“I think he’s going to… be one of the best all-rounders in Test match cricket in the world in the next couple of years. I’ve loved working with him and I just think he’s an extreme talent that is still so young in his international career,” Ponting said.

Meanwhile, Australia ended the second day’s play at 144-8 with a lead of 218.