 "Ricky Ponting has made a personal remark on Gautam Gambhir after the Indian coach questioned his comments on Virat Kohli. Image: Reuters/PTI")
Ricky Ponting has hit back at Gautam Gambhir as war of words breaks out between the two former cricketers. After Gambhir questioned Ponting commenting on Indian cricket, the former Australia captain has labelled the current Indian coach as a “prickly character”. Recently, Ponting while analysing Virat Kohli’s form ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy questioned the lack of centuries from the star batter in Test cricket in the last five years. This opinion was shared with Gambhir during a pre-departure press conference on Monday who was quick to turn down the suggestion by asking, “What does Ponting have to do with Indian cricket?”
Ponting, however, is not surprised that Gambhir did not take his analysis well. “I was surprised to read the reaction but knowing the coach, Gautam Gambhir … he’s quite a prickly character, so I’m not surprised it was him who said something back,” Ponting told 7News.
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Ponting: ‘It was not a dig at Kohli’
Ponting added that he did not mean any disrespect to Kohli with his comments, instead, he was just trying to explain how Kohli has struggled to make hundreds in Test cricket over the last few years.
“In no way was it a dig at him (Kohli). I actually followed it up by saying he’s played well in Australia and he’ll be keen to bounce back over here…If you ask Virat, I’m sure he would be a little bit concerned that he hasn’t been able to make the same amount of hundreds as he has in previous years,” he added.
Impact Shorts
More Shorts“So it’s amazing how little things can get cut up, but he’s a class player and he’s played well in Australia in the past.”
What Ponting actually said?
While speaking to the ICC recently, Ponting had said besides Kohli no batter would have survived international cricket after making just two test match hundreds in five years. Kohli has made three Test centuries in the last five years.
“I saw a stat the other day about Virat, it said he’s only scored two (three) Test hundreds in the last five years. That didn’t seem right to me, but if that is right, then that is, I mean, that’s a concern,” Ponting told the ICC. “There wouldn’t be anyone else probably even playing international cricket as a top-order batsman that’s only scored two Test match hundreds in five years.”
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When asked about Ponting’s comment on Monday, a furious Gambhir said : “What does Ponting have to do with Indian cricket? I think he should think about Australian cricket. More importantly, I have got no concerns whatsoever for Virat and Rohit. I think they are incredibly tough men. They’ve achieved a lot for Indian cricket and they will continue to achieve a lot in the future as well."
It’s important to note that while speaking to ICC, Ponting also backed Kohli to regain his form in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy which starts on 22 November in Perth.
“I’ve said it before about Virat, you don’t ever question the greats of the game,” Ponting said. “There’s no doubt, he’s a great of the game. He loves playing against Australia. In fact, I know he loves playing against Australia. And as I said, his record (in Australia) is very good. If there’s a time for him to turn it around, it’d be this series.
“So I wouldn’t be surprised to see Virat make runs in the first game.”