Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli at the Wankhede after India’s loss to New Zealand. (Express Photo by Amit Chakravarty)
After India coach Gautam Gambhir took a jab at Ricky Ponting on Monday, Australia’s Mike Hussey echoed the former’s words on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
“We will find out in the first Test match where they are at, mentally and from a skill perspective as well. They will be hurt by this, India. They have got a lot of crowd pullers and quality. We just heard from Gambhir talking about Rohit and Kohli not making runs. The silliest thing you can do is to write off champion players. We have seen it so many times in the past – they come under criticism, but they come out and perform really well. So I’m backing them to perform well in Australia. They are proud Indians and proud Test players. But I still feel Australia will start favourites,” Hussey said to Fox Cricket.
Ponting had recently said Kohli’s form is a concern, given the Indian batter has scored only two Test centuries in last five years but also felt that the Indian legend has it in him to roar back to form and there is no better place than Australia to do so.
“I saw a stat the other day about Virat, it said he’s only scored two (three) Test hundreds in the last five years. That didn’t seem right to me, but if that is right, then that is, I mean, that’s a concern,” Ponting had said.
“There wouldn’t be anyone else probably even playing international cricket as a top-order batsman that’s only scored two Test match hundreds in five years. I’ve said it before about Virat, you don’t ever question the greats of the game. There’s no doubt, he’s a great of the game. He loves playing against Australia. In fact, I know he loves playing against Australia. And as I said, his record (in Australia) is very good. If there’s a time for him to turn it around, it’d be this series.
“So I wouldn’t be surprised to see Virat make runs in the first game,” he had added.
To this, Gambhir said, “What does Ponting have to do with Indian cricket? I think he should think about Australian cricket. More importantly, I have got no concerns whatsoever for Virat and Rohit.”
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