Ricky Ponting responds to Gambhir's remarks ahead of Border-Gavaskar Trophy
The upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy scheduled Down Under has triggered a war of words between Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir and Australia's Ricky Ponting. The row started when Gambhir responded to Ponting's remarks on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. In turn, Ponting called Gambhir a 'prickly character' during an interview with 7News. The Perth Stadium will host the first Test between Australia and India from November 22.
What were Ponting's initial comments?
Notably, Ponting had earlier highlighted Kohli's spot in the team owing to his poor Test form. He also spoke about the form of skipper Rohit. "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.
Gambhir defends Kohli and Rohit
In response to Ponting's comments, Gambhir had defended 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."
Ponting clarifies his comments on Kohli
Ponting has now clarified that his remarks about Kohli weren't an insult or a dig. He was confident that Kohli would find his form Down Under, where he has fared well in the past. "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," Ponting said.
Gambhir expresses confidence in Indian team
Despite the ongoing dispute, Gambhir was confident of the Indian team's ability to perform well. He stressed that their hunger for success is "incredibly important" especially after their loss to New Zealand. He added that India can win if they play to their potential on any surface, regardless of the conditions.
