Gambhir Criticizes Ponting Ahead of Australia Tour

The pre-departure press conference by India's head coach Gautam Gambhir set an aggressive tone for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy as he criticized former Australian captain Ricky Ponting for questioning the form of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Gambhir defended the two players, dismissing Ponting's concerns and asserting their importance to Indian cricket. The series against Australia is poised to be intense, especially with Gambhir's comments and Shane Lee highlighting that Ponting's remarks might motivate Kohli. Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma's availability for the first Test remains uncertain, with Jasprit Bumrah expected to lead if Sharma is absent. The team is preparing with intense training sessions at the WACA, and Gambhir hinted at KL Rahul potentially opening the innings in Sharma's absence. Despite current form issues, Mike Hussey cautioned against writing off seasoned players like Rohit and Kohli, suggesting they could perform well in Australia.