Ricky Ponting, Virat Kohli and the two contrasting gestures

Ponting jubilantly acknowledging the crowd after scoring a hundred

Covering Indian cricket is becoming increasingly depressing these days. As Day 2 of the second test in Sydney unfolded, a sublime Ricky Ponting and a dour Michael Clarke accumulated runs as if they had planned a family vacation on Saturday and have decided to wrap it up before Day 4. India haplessly chose to wait, first, to see if their fortunes would reverse with the second new ball, and then for the day to end as soon as possible. The scorecard explains the most of the story.

Two contrasting moments summed up the day:

Firstly, Ricky Ponting called it a day for his century drought, which had lasted for last 34 innings for around two years, with a fine hundred.

To weigh Ponting’s accomplishment requires a glance at the circumstances in which it arrived. Considering the background makes the hundred an emotional one. He has never found himself in such a position before – playing to preserve his place in the side. His form was discussed invariably everywhere; statistics illustrating his fading skills and his irrelevance in the side were thrown at him; headlines over the last few games started reading “Ponting’s last chance?” His selection in the squad surprised many and since when did Ponting in the playing eleven surprise?

Interestingly, Ponting’s celebrations were less intense than his fellow mate and skipper Michael Clarke. A typical spectator would have expected him to kick the turf, punch the air, point the bat at the dressing room and silently scream out “take that”. But he didn’t. His face lightened up with a childlike grin as he got there and the pride of having pursued his old self swept across his face.

It was exhibition of a raw emotion for a man who has been a staggering run accumulator in both forms of the game. Ponting is not always associated with fine manners but his gesture today is a message to those who are seeking to prove others wrong.

Virat Kohli gestures with his middle finger to SCG crowd

On the other hand, an ‘Indian’ landed himself into trouble after an objectionable gesture to a section of the Sydney Cricket Ground crowd today. Virat Kohli it was and he had listened to something profane from a section of spectators before he reacted so, it is reported. “I agree cricketers dont have to retaliate. what when the crowd says the worst things about your mother and sister. the worst I’ve heard,” he tweeted.

But what worries more is his body language in the recent times.

Before handing out lessons on technique, the rookies must first be taught about on field etiquette. They must be made to understand that wherever they go, they carry a brand with them and there is always a propensity to associate their names with their brands.

Whether Kohli breached the acceptable behavior and benchmark set by his predecessors would be argued over the next few days. But had he emulated a Tendulkar or a Dravid or a Laxman, men who will be remembered for their fine manners as they will be for their batting, he would have either reacted differently or remained oblivious to what was said by the crowd.

There is something amusing about what happened today: An Aussie setting a behavioral benchmark and an Indian breaching code of conduct.