Gautam Gambhir Defends Kohli, Rohit Against Ricky Ponting’s Criticism

New Delhi, November 11: As Team India gears up for the crucial Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, head coach Gautam Gambhir has voiced strong support for star players Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma amidst criticism from former Australia captain Ricky Ponting. Gambhir dismissed Ponting’s remarks on Kohli’s recent form as “irrelevant,” urging the former Aussie skipper to focus on his own nation’s cricket concerns.

Ponting recently commented that, in his view, any player with only two centuries over five years would not remain in the national squad, hinting at Kohli’s current statistics. Responding to this, Gambhir emphasized the veteran players’ commitment to Indian cricket. “Not at all… Ricky Ponting should think about Australian cricket. Virat and Rohit are incredibly tough men. They’ve achieved a lot for Indian cricket and will continue to achieve much more,” Gambhir remarked during a press conference ahead of India’s departure to Australia.

He continued, “Their passion and hard work are still evident. They are focused on contributing significantly to the team. The hunger and drive in the dressing room, especially after the last series, are immensely important.”

In 2024, both Kohli and Rohit have faced scrutiny due to fluctuating performances, particularly following India’s 0-3 series loss to New Zealand. Rohit has accumulated 588 runs across 11 matches this year, averaging 29.40 with two centuries and two fifties. Kohli, meanwhile, has amassed 250 runs from six matches (12 innings), averaging 22.72 with a single half-century.

The upcoming series against Australia is crucial for India, as they need a 4-1 series win to secure their place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final. With Kohli and Rohit under pressure to rediscover their form, their performances will be pivotal for India’s chances of advancing to a third consecutive WTC final.

Upcoming Border-Gavaskar Series Schedule
The five-Test series will kick off in Perth, followed by a day-night match at Adelaide Oval from December 6-10. The third Test will take place in Brisbane from December 14-18, with the Boxing Day Test scheduled at Melbourne Cricket Ground from December 26-30. The final Test will be held at Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3-7, marking the culmination of this eagerly awaited series.

India’s Squad for Border-Gavaskar Series:
Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammad Shami, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Virat Kohli, Prasidh Krishna, Rishabh Pant (wk), KL Rahul, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar.

Australia Squad for First Test:
Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Nathan McSweeney, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc.

With high stakes in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Gambhir’s support for Kohli and Rohit adds confidence to a team determined to deliver strong performances in the series and secure their place in the WTC final.