'I still get nightmares about Harbhajan Singh', claims Ricky Ponting

Former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting has taken a trip down memory lane to open up on his fascinating duels with Harbhajan Singh and even admitted to having nightmares about the feisty Indian off-spinner.

In the country to promote Tasmania as its brand ambassador, the 41-year old expressed his views on a wide variety of topics such as Virat Kohli’s exploits as well as Anil Kumble’s intricate knowledge of the game.

Speaking to reporters during a media interaction, the attacking middle-order batsman claimed,”My arch nemesis when I was playing against India was Harbhajan Singh. I still get nightmares about him.“

Unlike his steady performances elsewhere, Ponting could only manage 662 runs from 14 Tests in India at a paltry average of 26.48, mostly due to Harbhajan’s remarkable prowess on conducive pitches.

On Root, Kohli and Williamson

Impressed with the growing competition between the likes of Virat Kohli, Joe Root, Steven Smith and Kane Williamson, he emphasized on the psychological aspect of things while predicting their future paths.

Ponting quipped, “Kohli probably has got age on his side. His ODI career till this stage has been incredible. He is an ultra-skilled and talented player. More importantly, he has got the attitude to want to be the best he can be and wants to lead his country in the best way possible. Smith and Williamson are in the same boat. Whoever I guess masters the mind games the best, will be the one who ends up with the best career record.”

Punter’s views on two-tier test system

When the conversation veered towards the proposed two-tier Test system, he wanted the plan to actually materialize before analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of the concept.

The right-hander declared, “Look, I am all for adding as much context to all formats of the game as possible. The Test championship and the two division competition have been talked about for a long time and here we are now, still have not been able to come up with the right program.”

Kumble has great cricket knowledge

On the benefits of having Anil Kumble as Team India’s head coach, Ponting pointed to the leg spinner’s extensive career as well as their stint together with Mumbai Indians while also placing the onus on the players themselves.

‘Punter’ had this to say about Kumble, “He (Kumble) has been one of the stalwarts of the game. He has obviously had great success both as player and captain. I got the chance to work with him at Mumbai Indians. He has got great knowledge of the game. But, it is down to the players to say and comment how great he is a coach. From the outside, you have no idea.”