New Delhi:
The start of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia is still a few days away but a war seems to have begun between Gautam Gambhir and Ricky Ponting. The India head coach didn’t take Ponting’s comments on under-fire Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma well, suggesting the former Australia skipper to stick to his own team. Now, Ponting too has shared his reaction on the comments made by Gambhir in the press conference ahead of the team’s flight to Australia, calling the India head coach a ‘prickly character’.
“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 said on 7News.
Ponting also clarified that his comments on Virat weren’t meant as an insult or criticism by any means. The Australia legend feels the India star will regain his lost form and deliver Down Under, a region where he has done well previously as well.
“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 said.
“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.”
Gambhir was informed of Ponting’s comments by a reporter during a pre-series press conference on Monday. He gave a sharp reply to the Australia great’s remarks on Kohli and Rohit.
“What does Ponting have to do with Indian cricket?” Gambhir had said. “He should think about Australian cricket. I don’t have any concerns. They (Kohli and Rohit) are incredibly tough men; they’ve achieved a lot for Indian cricket and are going to achieve a lot in future as well.”
Gambhir’s comments in the presser came after Ponting had questioned Kohli’s place in the team over poor Test form.
“I saw a stat the other day about Virat. It said he’s only scored two Test hundreds in the last five years. That didn’t seem right to me, but if that is accurate, then that’s a concern,” Ponting had said. “There probably wouldn’t be anyone else still playing international cricket as a top-order batsman who’s only scored two Test match hundreds in five years.”
