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\u2019 spinners Mitchell Santner and Ajaz Patel along with Glenn Phillips turned out to be the main architects of New Zealand\u2019s historic series win in India.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI think the one thing it does probably say is it\u2019s 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,\u201d said Ponting on The ICC Review show. \u201cMaybe 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.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cMaybe 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.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
He also heaped praise on New Zealand for achieving this remarkable feat, despite missing their dependable batter Kane Williamson due to a groin injury. \u201cThat'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\u2019s) record in the subcontinent, the sort of the rock and the leader that he's been for that team,\u201d he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
India\u2019s 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.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThere 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.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
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