If history has taught cricket teams anything, it’s that poking Virat Kohli isn’t the best of ideas. More often than not, the talismanic Indian batter has gone on to do more damage with his bat after being provoked, than being left alone. Australia legend Ricky Ponting’s remarks, questioning the Team India star’s place in the Test team, hence, have been labelled a ‘bad move’ by his former teammate Brett Lee. Ponting’s comments were also criticised by India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir, who asked him to think more about the Australian team, than the Indian.

Some of Virat Kohli’s most famous performances have come in Australia. While statistically, he isn’t in the best of form at the moment, Lee fears that Ponting’s remarks will fire him up to deliver Down Under once again.

“That is a bad move, Ricky. What are you doing? You are going to fire that guy up. He is a world-class player and he will fire up out here,” Lee said on Fox Cricket’s podcast The Follow On.

What did Ricky Ponting Say About Virat Kohli?

“I saw a stat the other day about Virat – it said he’s only scored two Test hundreds in the last five years. That didn’t seem right to me, but if that is accurate, then that’s, I mean, that’s a concern,” Ponting said.

“There probably wouldn’t be anyone else still playing international cricket as a top-order batsman who’s only scored two Test match hundreds in five years.”

Ponting’s comments even riled up Gambhir, a similar character to Kohli, and the India head coach didn’t waste time in having a go at the former Australia captain.

“I was surprised to read the reaction but knowing the coach, Gautam Gambhir … he’s quite a prickly character, so I’m not surprised it was him who said something back,” Ponting said on 7News.

However, Ponting also confirmed that he didn’t mean to take a swipe at Kohli. In fact, he also thinks that Kohli has what it takes to bounce back in Australia.

“In no way was it a dig at him (Kohli). I actually followed it up by saying he’s played well in Australia and he’ll be keen to bounce back over here…If you ask Virat, I’m sure he would be a little bit concerned that he hasn’t been able to make the same amount of hundreds as he has in previous years,” he said.