The ongoing feud between India head coach Gautam Gambhir and former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has added extra spice to the build-up of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Gambhir recently hit back at Ponting, who had criticized Virat Kohli for scoring just two Test centuries in the past five years. Gambhir suggested that Ponting should focus more on his own country's cricket, rather than commenting on Kohli’s form. His remarks have sparked a strong backlash from many quarters, with former cricketers and commentators from Australia now weighing in on the issue.
Michael Vaughan, the former England captain who is now a regular commentator on Australian television, has said that Gambhir will have to learn to “play the game” in the media now that he is in a leadership position in the Indian team. “I am going to like Gautam Gambhir as coach because he is spicy. I think he is going to have to learn that sometimes, in the leadership position that he is in, play the game a little bit,” said Vaughan on the Club Prairie Fire podcast in which Australia greats Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist were also present.
"Don't just buy every comment. Because, by the way, we are all going to be commenting about his team very shortly. And I never thought that the rule of punditry is that you can only have a comment on the team that you played for. If that is the rule of punditry well, Haydos you have spent half your life in India so that's your job. I have got to get on a plane and go back to Manchester tomorrow morning," said Vaughan.
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"So I don't quite agree with Gautam. But I do like a bit of spice and I like the fact that he is going to be very prickly. Over the course of the next few weeks I don't think it's going to be easy for his team. I don't think they are going to win every game, they are going to lose games and it will be very interesting to see how he deals with that negative side of team performance."
When asked about Ricky Ponting’s comments, especially in light of Virat Kohli’s modest 93-run tally in India’s recent home whitewash against New Zealand, Gautam Gambhir responded bluntly. "Not at all. What does Ponting have to do with Indian cricket? He should focus on Australian cricket," Gambhir said during India’s pre-departure press conference. "I have no concerns. Kohli and the others are incredibly tough, they've already achieved a lot for Indian cricket and will continue to do so in the future."
Ponting responded to the jibe as well. "I was asked the other night if I was concerned about Virat Kohli's form. A day before, I had read his stats from the last five years, so it was clear in my mind. I think he made only two (three) centuries in the last five years. His average in India is now down to 30 from 90, during this period. So yes, I would be concerned."
"And I said if you ask him about his form, he would be concerned because it is nowhere near what it used to be. But then I said since he loves playing in Australia and has a great record here, so if there ever was a tour where he could turn things around, it would be this. But they never talked about the second part. Then Gambhir went and faced the press having just lost against New Zealand. The hair on the back of his neck is already standing up. We got a bit of history as well, but he took a chance to fire back at me," said Ponting.
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