India coach Gautam Gambhir has taken aim at Ricky Ponting after the Australian great questioned the form of skipper Rohit Sharma and fading ace Virat Kohli.
A feisty Gambhir, a tough former international opening batsman, was in no mood to back down amid a flurry of questions about his team’s poor form ahead of India’s arrival in Perth on Tuesday where the first of five Tests begins next week.
The tourists are still smarting after they were whitewashed by New Zealand – the first time ever they have lost all three Tests on home shores to a visiting nation – and have form and selection issues of their own to address before their defence of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy begins.
Troubling times: Indian star Virat Kohli is desperate to rebound against Australia this summer.Credit: AP
Kohli made only 93 runs in the series, continuing a dramatic slide for the one-time batting superstar, while Rohit managed only 91 runs, and now heads to a country where he has had little success with the bat.
Ponting had questioned the longer-term form of the two batsmen on the ICC’s Review show, prompting Gamhbir to hit back.
“What does Ricky Ponting have to do with Indian cricket? He should be talking about Australia,” Gambhir said.
“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 the country over the years.”
Ponting said he had been surprised by Virat’s ongoing woes.
“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, I mean, that’s a concern,” Ponting 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.”
Kohli’s two most recent Test tons came against Australia – in India – and the West Indies. He did make a century late in November 2019, against Bangladesh.
Kohli, who averaged more than 50 in Tests from 2016 to 2019, has suffered an alarming form dip, scoring just 1838 runs in his past 34 Tests at an average of 31.68. In 60 innings, he has passed 50 only 11 times for two centuries, while his form on the road, averaging 33.57 from his past 16 Tests, is an issue.
This year he is averaging just 22.72 in six Tests, and has fallen out of the top 20 list of the ICC men’s Test batting rankings for the first time in a decade.
Rohit, averaging 42.27 in 64 Tests, has only 133 runs in his past 10 innings, reaching double figures four times, and may miss an early Test for the birth of his second child. In seven Tests in Australia, he has a modest 408 runs at 31.38 without a century.
“They are incredibly tough men and have achieved a lot for Indian cricket and will continue to do so,” Gambhir said.
“My role is to ensure that their hunger is still there, and they continue to work really hard.”
The tourists will have 10 days to prepare for the series opener, and have opted not to have a legitimate practice match, preferring centre-wicket practice at the WACA.
“I think 10 days, if we can get good, proper preparation before the start of the series, I think we’re going to be in really good shape. We’ve got a lot of experienced players who’ve been to Australia many times. So their experience will come in handy for the young players as well,” Gambhir said.
“I’m sure these 10 days are going to be very crucial. Come the 22nd, I think we should be absolutely ready, and ready to fire from ball one.”
If Rohit does miss a Test, Gambhir said the tourists had several replacement options.
“There are quite a lot of options. KL Rahul and Abhimanyu Easwaran are opening options for us if Rohit Sharma isn’t available,” he said.
Gamhbir said vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah will lead the side if Rohit is absent.
