Sri Lanka, July 2 -- Ricky Ponting, clearly one of the best batsmen the world has seen, was once asked to reveal the secret of his success. His answer was as simple as it was profound: 'I treat every ball with respect.'

In other words, he probably blocked out what went before and what could come later. Such things would detract from focus, he probably reasoned. The previous delivery could have been loose and duly dispatched for a four or six, but this does not mean that the next would not be a wicket-taking one. Dwell too much on the elegant off-drive or perfectly timed hook shot and you would not be giving 100% attention to the next ball you have to face.

It's the same with getting ahead of yourself. If a team is chasing a formidable t...