'Champion players always find a way' - Ricky Ponting backs Virat Kohli to hit form in Tests in approaching days

Former Australian player Ricky Ponting has suggested for a change in the Indian batting order to so that they can qualify for the World Test Championship Final to be played in June at the Oval and has also backed Virat Kohli, who looks out of form in the purest format of the game.

While playing against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar series, Kohli has scored just 111 runs in last  five innings. If India wins the fourth Test this week in Ahmedabad, Kohli will face the same opposition once more and would be eager to stand tall on the occasion. On the most recent episode of The ICC Review, Ponting and host Sanjana Ganesan reviewed Kohli's current batting struggles.

"I'm not looking at anybody's form in this Test series because, for a batsman, it has just been an absolute, it's been a nightmare. For Virat, I've said it before I say it over and over. Champion players always find a way, and yes, it might seem like he's in a bit of a drought at the moment and he might not be scoring the runs that we all expect him to score," Ponting said.

"And certainly, you know, he's a realist as well. And we all know as batsmen, when you're struggling and not scoring runs, you don't need anybody else to tell you. You're pretty aware of it yourself. But no, I'm every day of the week putting my hand up and not even showing any sort of concern for Virat Kohli. Because I know he will bounce back," he added.

Ricky Ponting talks about the World Test Championship final

Ponting has called for a change in the Indian batting order in England if India qualify for the World Test Championship Final, considering the conditions are completely different from their home. He also reckoned that both KL Rahul and Gill can be in the playing XI at the Oval. Ponting believes that Rahul, 30, might be used in India's middle order because he has two of his seven Test centuries in England, including a stunning 149 at The Oval back in 2018.

Ponting thinks that Gill should open, and KL Rahul should bat in the middle order because of his record in English conditions. Ponting advised both India and Australia to choose the best XI that can succeed during the one-off Test spectacle while taking the English conditions into consideration and also stated, if the overhead conditions are suitable, the ball swings for a long period of time or even from the beginning of an inning.

"The Oval can be a really, really good place to bat as long as the sun is out, it's probably as good a wicket as any in the UK," Ponting concluded.

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