Published 19:10 IST, November 9th 2024
'That's A Concern': Ricky Ponting’s BOLD Perspective On Kohli’s Lean Form Leading Into BGT Tests
Ricky Ponting believes that Virat Kohli should not be judged based on his current form. He believes the stalwart can have a major impact on the BGT Series.
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Virat Kohli 's recent form in Test cricket has sparked a lot of concern. With the Border Gavaskar Trophy series fast approaching, the top-order batting stalwart hasn't been in his best form. Kohli has only averaged 22.72 in six Test matches since the start of this year, which is the lowest he has had in a year since making his debut in 2011. He has also fallen out of the top-20 list in the ICC Test rankings. But Ricky Ponting believes Kohli should not be judged based on current form.
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Ricky Ponting Still Believes In Virat Kohli Despite His Poor Form In Test Cricket
While speaking to the ICC, Ricky Ponting believes that one should not judge Virat Kohli through his ongoing lean patch in Test Cricket. The former Australian captain believes that given his talent, the Indian batting stalwart can make a significant impact in the upcoming five-Test Border Gavaskar Trophy series. Ponting also stated that he had complete faith in Kohli's fighting abilities and that the test series could be the catalyst for Virat's career revival in Test cricket.
"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 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," Ponting told ICC.
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While Ponting declared his complete confidence in Virat Kohli's skills, he also flagged his concerns over a particular statistic, which said that Virat has scored just a couple of tons in the past five years. The former Australia skipper added that it was a problem as no other top-order batter has the same stat.
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"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. 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," Ponting added.
[With PTI Inputs]
19:02 IST, November 9th 2024