Former Australian Skipper and batter-par-excellence heaped praise on Indian star Virat Kohli’s time at the helm of the Men in Blue for a change in the side’s approach to the game.
Kohli led the Indian side from the year 2014 to 2022, before stepping down from the mantle and led a revolution that made the men in blue a force to be reckoned with on home soil or away on tour.
Ponting, a three-time ODI World Cup winner, led the fearsome Australian side that held a stranglehold on the sport for a prolonged period, hailed Kohli’s impact on the Indian team which helped in turning the sport around.
“Their fast-bowling depth is great. The leadership in the last 6-7 years has been strong. Going back to Kohli’s start of captaincy, played a big role in turning the cricket around and Dravid has continued the same in the recent four years. The influence of someone like that [Kohli] around a team would be great and they’ve got star players,” Ponting said.
Kohli led India 68 times in Test cricket, in which he posted 40 wins and 11 draws, while losing 17 fixtures in the longest format of the game during his time as the side’s skipper.
Ponting also touched upon India’s famous win at Gabba, which brought an end to a three-decade-long record Australia had maintained against touring sides at Brisbane.
“They won a game at the Gabba, which just doesn’t happen. I think their batters adapt to overseas batting conditions very well. I don’t think they’re as daunted by the Gabba or the Optus Oval, as they maybe once were. Maybe it is a selection thing, or they just don’t fear the big stage anymore,” he said.
Ponting also revealed that the high-stakes environment of the money-rich Indian Premier League has also shaped how Indians handle pressure situations on tours.
“For the last 10 years being around the IPL, I’ve noticed that a lot of the young guys [don’t fear the big stage anymore] as the IPL is high-pressure, it is like a World Cup for them. Their batsmen are all very aggressive stroke-making players. They are not scared of failing,” the former Australian skipper concluded.
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