“I just want to contribute to the team’s cause, I am not a guy who wants to hang around just for the sake of it,” Kohli told the broadcasters after hitting his record 30th Test hundred. This was not just any regular hundred, but a stern reply to all the critics who doubted someone who has owned Australia for more than a decade. He managed to repay the faith showcased in him by Team India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir with a record 30th Test ton on Day 3 of the 1st Test between India and Australia at the Optus Stadium in Perth.

In the pre-departure press conference, Gambhir said that there were no concerns about Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s form in the lead-up to the Australia series. Gambhir took the bullet for Kohli as he slammed former Australia captain Ricky Ponting for his remarks over the star batter’s recent dip in form. Ponting recently commented on Kohli’s form, saying that any other player wouldn’t have survived in the team had he scored just two hundreds in five years.

Ponting vs Gambhir

The India head coach said that Ponting has got nothing to do with Indian cricket and mentioned Kohli and Rohit’s passion and hunger to do well for the team.

“What does Ponting has to do with Indian cricket? I think he should think about Australian cricket and, more importantly, have got no concerns whatsoever for Virat and Rohit. I think they are incredibly tough men. They’ve achieved a lot for Indian cricket, and they will continue to achieve a lot in the future as well. I think for me, the most important thing is that they still work really hard, and they are still passionate, they still want to achieve a lot more and that is something which is very important. The hunger in that dressing room is incredibly important for me. And for the entire group of people as well, in that dressing in dressing room. And I feel there is a lot of hunger, and especially after what has happened in the last series,” Gambhir said in the press conference.

The war of words between Gautam Gambhir and Ricky Ponting continues with the Australia great saying that the India coach is frightened ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

However, Kohli shut down all the critics with a whirlwind hundred, which was his 7th Test hundred on the Australian soil.