"Gambhir is a character that would use this as an us versus them mentality"- Brad Haddin on back-and-forth between Gautam Gambhir and Ricky Ponting
Former Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin feels Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir and former Australian captain Ricky Ponting's recent back-and-forth stemmed from the history between the two. The war of words started when Ponting criticized ace Indian batter Virat Kohli for his poor form in Tests, citing that the latter has scored only two centuries over the past five years.
When asked about Ponting's remarks in a final press conference before the Australian tour, Gambir hit back by questioning the former's involvement with Indian cricket and asking him to focus on Australian cricket.
Never one to take a step back, Ponting returned the favor by calling Gambhir a 'prickly' character and highlighting how his comments on Kohli potentially bouncing back in Australia were never mentioned.
Speaking on the LiSTNR podcast regarding the back-and-forth between Gambhir and Ponting, Haddin said:
"Gambhir is a character that would use this as an us versus them mentality. And you expect your coach to stick up for the players. His reaction was prickly there, and you don't need your coach to get caught up in that sort of scenario unless his tactics is to build an us versus them. I know what the backstory. I'll tell you; just wait till later of the week. There was a little elbow, suspensions and fines."
For context, Gambhir captained the Delhi Capitals (DC) in Ponting's first season as their head coach in 2018. However, the former Indian opener relinquished the role with Shreyas Iyer taking over the reign after the side's dismal start.
Gambhir was involved in an elbowing controversy with former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson in the 2008 Border-Gavaskar Trophy when Ponting was Australia's captain, resulting in a one-match suspension for Gambhir.
"With Gambhir, he has bitten back, taken the pressure away from his team" - Brad Haddin
Brad Haddin highlighted how Gautam Gambhir's reaction to Ricky Ponting's remarks might be a tactic to relieve pressure from the Indian players ahead of the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy down under.
Team India enter the series under immense pressure after suffering an embarrassing 0-3 home series whitewash against New Zealand.
"It's out of the Wayne Bennett style of coaching. So we're not really talking now about Rohit Sharma or [Virat] Kohli. We're talking about Gambhir and Ricky [Ponting]. With Gambhir, he has bitten back, taken the pressure away from his team. It's all about him now; it's about how prickly he is. And now he might be able to go and prepare his team. You'd like to believe that he has a very clear plan on how they want to ready," said Haddin.
He added:
"We know he's a prickly character and can wind himself up. Is he doing this now to take it away from his teammates? I don't know. Only time will tell. If it's an emotional reaction, then there's a problem. But if he's doing it to deflect things away and take it [attention] away from his team, that's a different thing."
Gambhir has endured a torrid start to his Team India coaching tenure with 0-2 and 0-3 ODI and Test series defeats to Sri Lanka and New Zealand amidst T20I and Test series wins over the Lankans and Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, the marquee India-Australia five-Test series starts in Perth on November 22.