Rohit Sharma stepped down from captaincy in the direction of the top of the Check collection in Australia just lately, whereas Virat Kohli – after beginning the tour sturdy with a century in Perth – fizzled out afterward as the 2 Indian stalwarts struggled Down Beneath in red-ball cricket. Each have since bounced to various levels in the course of the Champions Trophy that India received, and Ricky Ponting – who as soon as had a chat with Rahul Dravid asking him to not retire after one unhealthy collection – sees no motive why Rohit and Virat can’t proceed delivering for India.
Ricky Ponting’s full Specific Adda interview will probably be printed later as we speak
“I’ve been on file about Virat to say: ‘You’ll be able to’t write off high quality gamers’. They’re champions for a motive and all the time discover a solution to come good,” Ponting advised The Indian Specific throughout Concept Alternate. “At completely different occasions within the final couple of years, Virat has been ready to try this when he’s getting in a gap. He’s a high-quality participant and, perhaps Rohit is a bit the identical. Check cricket is the factor that’s changing into tougher for them proper now. Rohit has made it clear he’s going nowhere within the 50-over sport. Virat is one of the best white-ball participant I’ve ever seen. I’ll by no means write these guys off.”
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting. (Illustration: Suvajit Dey)
Ponting was additionally requested concerning the time he had a pep speak with Dravid after the latter had a forgettable Australia collection. “We might all see he was battling, and there was a number of media speak, and it was all carrying him down. Rahul and I’ve all the time acquired alongside very well. We had been fierce opponents, each No.3 batters for our nations for a very long time. For gamers like that, the category and high quality doesn’t go away. It typically will get buried beneath a number of different stuff, and sure folks can’t discover their approach out of these holes. I simply had a chat with him and stated, ‘Look, overlook about all of the exterior stuff, imagine in your self, and return to the issues which have made you a great participant. Should you deal with that and never fear concerning the little issues, I’m positive you possibly can end off your profession on a robust word.’ That’s all I stated. He went away and did that and guess what? After I was on the finish of my profession, I acquired the identical message again from him. He was the primary on the cellphone and made me conscious of the issues I needed to say to him.”
The Punjab Kings head coach joked that he may not do the identical for Rohit and Virat throughout an IPL season. “Whether or not or not I’m going to ship them the identical message that I despatched Rahul Dravid, initially of an IPL is a unique query (smiles). However I like watching these guys play worldwide cricket, and hopefully, they will play for years to return,” the 50-year-old added.
