"When someone's got you out 17 times, it does become as much a mental – or probably more of a mental – battle than it does a technical battle.
"But just thinking about the series, I'd be inclined to stick with David Warner."
Drawing inspiration from Warner's past notable innings, including his performance in the World Test Championship and the first innings at Lord's, Ponting believes that by tapping into his resilience and starting his innings with confidence, Warner can unleash his true potential.
"For some reason when guys are under pressure, it's nerves that make you smile," he said.
"I know when I was playing against players, as soon as they started smiling at me, I knew that I had them.
"You've just got to look at Warner's dismissals in the last game and this sort of wry smile came on his face almost to say, you've done it again, you've got me again.
"I'd like to see him go the other way. I'd like to see him show that real bulldog fighting spirit that he's got.
"Like he showed in the first innings of the World Test Championship, like he showed in the first innings at Lord's where he made runs.
"If he gets back to that, with the way that I've seen him start in a couple of his innings, I honestly do feel a big score is just around the corner for him," Ponting concluded.
As the fourth Test approaches, cricket enthusiasts eagerly await Warner's revival, anticipating a display of his fighting spirit and a contribution that could shape his Ashes legacy.
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