Ponting believes Kohli’s captaincy was a key factor behind India’s fast bowling riches.
The anticipation around the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy is palpable. India are Australia are slated to square off in a five-match Test series for the first time in over three decades.
The marquee series is slated to get underway on November 22 in Perth and the action will then shift to Adelaide, where both teams will face each other in a Day-Night Test. The last three Tests are set to take place in Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney.
India have won the last two Test series Down Under, while they have held onto the coveted Border-Gavaskar Trophy since March 2017.
Reflecting on India’s dominance, Australian legend Ricky Ponting attributed it to Indian batters adapting to alien conditions.
"They won a game at the Gabba, which just doesn't happen. I think their batsmen adapt to overseas batting conditions very well. I don't think they're as daunted by the Gabba or the Optus Oval, as they maybe once were. Maybe it is a selection thing, or they just don't fear the big stage anymore," said Ponting on Sky Sports.
According to Ponting, playing in the high-octane matches of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has made the Indian players less fearful of the big stage.
"For the last 10 years being around the IPL, I've noticed that a lot of the young guys [don't fear the big stage anymore] as the IPL is high-pressure, it is like a World Cup for them. Their batsmen are all very aggressive stroke-making players. They are not scared of failing," he added.
Moreover, India’s fast-bowling stocks have grown by leaps and bounds in the past once decade. The likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Ishan Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar among others have scripted many memorable wins for the team in recent years.
Ricky Ponting believes Virat Kohli’s leadership was a key factor behind India’s fast bowling riches.
"Their fast-bowling depth is great. The leadership in the last 6-7 years has been strong, going back to Kohli's start of captaincy, played a big role in turning the cricket around and Dravid has continued the same in the recent four years. The influence of someone like that [Kohli] around a team would be great and they've got star players," Ponting remarked.