Ponting dimisses Tait action queries

Ponting, who was named man of the match in the series opener with an unbeaten 107 at the Adelaide Oval, described the pre-match concerns of Black Caps skipper Daniel Vettori and coach John Bracewell as 'just absolute rubbish'.

"There's been no speculation whatsoever about his action before. He was pretty settled, he probably just tried a little bit too hard to take early wickets," Ponting said of Tait.

"He probably attacked too much and once he got his lines and lengths right in his second spell was when he took his wickets and didn't go for anywhere near as many runs. I think he would have learnt a bit from bowling out there."

Tait was the pick of the Aussie bowlers during Friday's seven-wicket win over New Zealand with figures of 3-59.

Vettori has since rescinded his comments which inferred that Tait was prone to throwing the ball on occasion.

"Look, I think I was probably a little caught off guard by the whole question," Vettori said during a post-match interview.

"It's not something I've really thought about. I never meant to insinuate that he was a chucker.

"Like anyone in world cricket, I wouldn't comment on them. So that was the process, and I know after speaking to (match referee) Roshan Mahanama, there is a process in place that if you feel that a bowler has an illegal action (report it to the referee). Obviously we haven't gone through that process, so that probably intimates our answer."

The three-match series continues in Sydney on Sunday in what is now a must-win encounter for the Black Caps if they are to retain the Chappell-Hadlee trophy.