Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has responded to Gautam Gambhir’s remarks following his comments about Virat Kohli’s form, labeling the India head coach as a “prickly character” while clarifying that his words were not intended as an attack on the star batter.
Ponting, in an interview with the ICC, had expressed concerns over Kohli’s prolonged lean patch, saying that any other international player would have struggled to retain their spot in the Test side with just two centuries in five years. However, he also praised Kohli’s ability to bounce back from challenging situations and expected the Indian batsman to rediscover his form.
When asked about Gambhir’s reaction to his comments, Ponting said, “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, who had previously coached Gambhir at Delhi Capitals, added humorously, “If he comes my way, yeah. I don’t expect him to. We’ve got quite a bit of history against each other. I have actually coached him at Delhi Capitals and he is quite a prickly character.”
Ponting then explained that his original comments were misinterpreted and clarified that he never meant to disrespect Kohli. “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,” Ponting said.
Ponting’s comments had sparked controversy, but the former Australia skipper insisted that his remarks were purely about Kohli’s recent form and not an attack on his character. Despite the back-and-forth, it is clear that both Ponting and Gambhir continue to maintain a rivalry that dates back to their playing days.
