Skill of modern Indian batters in playing spin is probably not what it used to be, says Ponting

New Delhi: Legendary Australia cricketer Ricky Ponting thinks Indian batters are vulnerable against quality spinners which resulted in their recent 3-0 series defeat to New Zealand. He added that the skill levels of Indian batters playing against spinners are not where they used to be in previous times.

Though India will be departing for Australia to play in the marquee Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, the Rohit Sharma-led side embark on the all-important trip after suffering an unprecedented 3-0 defeat to New Zealand at home, which is also their first Test series loss at home in 12 years. The visitors’ spinners Mitchell Santner and Ajaz Patel along with Glenn Phillips turned out to be the main architects of New Zealand’s historic series win in India.

“I think the one thing it does probably say is it’s really starting to highlight India’s vulnerability against good quality spin bowling. It seems as though the skill of the modern Indian batsmen of playing spin is probably not what it used to be,” said Ponting on The ICC Review show. “Maybe because they’re playing on different wickets in India that are probably for the fast bowlers a bit more, maybe because there are more high-quality fast bowlers in India now that they’re not playing as much spin bowling as they did.”

“Maybe it’s the IPL or how much IPL cricket they’re playing that the younger players are learning the game that way rather than the way that players did 15 or 20 years ago,” he added.

He also heaped praise on New Zealand for achieving this remarkable feat, despite missing their dependable batter Kane Williamson due to a groin injury. “That’s a huge result. One that I wasn’t expecting, to be honest, more so, when you look at it with Kane Williamson not being there. When you think about his (Williamson’s) record in the subcontinent, the sort of the rock and the leader that he’s been for that team,” he said.

India’s talismanic batter Virat Kohli has been in a form slump in the longer format and slipped out of the top-20 list in the Test batting rankings for the first time in 10 years. Ponting, though, backs Kohli to come good in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where India needs to win at least four games to enter the 2025 World Test Championship final.

“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. 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 said.

–IANS