Indian head coach is under fire after sharp dig at Ricky Ponting
Indian coach Gautam Gambhir is copping not-so-friendly fire from his own after he fired shots towards Ricky Ponting.
Cricket
Don't miss out on the headlines from Cricket. Followed categories will be added to My News.
India are at war with themselves after coach Gautam Gambhir was urged to step back from the frontline following a sharp dig at Ricky Ponting.
Gambhir, under siege after being whitewashed in the home Test series to New Zealand, had a shot at Ponting after the Australian great questioned the form of Indian icons Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma entering the five Test tour of Australia.
“What does Ricky Ponting have to do with Indian cricket – he should be talking about Australia,’’ Gambhir said in his farewell press conference before leaving India.
“Look, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are still passionate about the game and want to achieve more. They are hungry for success and have done exceptionally well for their country over the years.’’
While some observers praised Gambhir’s fighting words, former Indian Test star Sanjay Manjrekar was unimpressed.
“Just watched Gambhir in the press conference,’’ Manjrekar wrote on X.
“ May be wise for @BCCI to keep him away from such duties, let him work behind the scenes.
“He does not have the right demeanour nor the words when interacting with them.’’
Gambhir, once mentored by Justin Langer, is an interesting case study this tour.
The pressure on him to rebound after the New Zealand loss is huge, particularly after India won their past two series in Australia under the colourful Ravi Shastri.
Just watched Gambhir in the press conference.
— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) November 11, 2024
May be wise for @BCCI to keep him away from such duties, let him work behind the scenes. He does not have the right demeanour nor the words when interacting with them. Rohit & Agarkar, much better guys to front up for the media.
Indian players say Shastri helped demystify Australia by sprouting how much he enjoyed playing there and his passion for the country which has carried to the present day.
“I loved playing in Australia,’’ Shastri said.
“I like the toughness of the cricket and I think Australian fans respected you if you stood your ground.’’
The war of words comes as the Indian squad began arriving in Perth ahead of the first Test starting next Friday, with the team due to arrive via two different flights so all players and staff could travel in business class.
Indian bowler Washington Sundar was one of the first to arrive, posting to his 1.8m Instagram followers from inside the team bus in Perth.
Kohli’s form has been in serious decline in recent years and he has averaged less than 29 in three of the past four years.
Sharma, who could miss the first Test for the birth of his second child, has scored 133 runs in his past 10 innings.
Optimists in the Indian camp point to the fact that Kohli has made six centuries in his 13 Tests on Australian soil, a staggering strike rate.
There is also the fact that India has “cooked’’ home wickets in recent season to suit their spin bowlers which has made enormously difficult for their batsmen. But both legends remain under massive pressure to shine this tour.
More Coverage
Originally published as Indian head coach is under fire after sharp dig at Ricky Ponting
The key detail which could make Smith the greatest again
Steve Smith has regularly spoken about the phenomenon of ‘losing his hands’ and then ‘finding’ them again in the never ending pursuit of his nirvana at the crease. He may have rediscovered the detail which placed him among the world’s best batsmen.
India coy on star – but Aussies aren’t buying into mind games
Australia has brushed off any attempts at ducks and drakes from the cagey India despite the tourists springing a surprise while remaining coy on the status of top order star Shubman Gill.