Ponting revealed the talk with Dravid during his struggles and spoke about Kohli and Rohit's issues.
Former Australian cricketer Ricky Ponting revealed a piece of advice he had shared with Rahul Dravid when the Indian great was struggling with the bat. He also stated why he wouldn’t share the same message with modern-day greats like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
Ponting, like any great cricketer, experienced highs and lows during his career, but he recalls vividly the depression that India's Rahul Dravid found himself in. Ponting and Dravid were two of their era's best No. 3 batters, and they crossed paths multiple times.
Ponting recalls speaking with Dravid after The Wall had just come off a challenging series against Australia. While Ponting did not specify whose tour it was, it could be the 2007/08 tour, during which Dravid scored 237 runs from four tests at an average of 33.85.
"We could all see he was battling, and there was a lot of media talk, and it was all wearing him down. Rahul and I have always gotten along really well. We were fierce competitors, both No. 3 batters for our countries for a long time. For players like that, the class and quality don’t leave. It sometimes gets buried under a lot of other stuff, and certain people can’t find their way out of those holes," Ponting said in a conversation with The Indian Express.
“I just had a chat with him and said, 'Look, forget about all the external stuff, believe in yourself, and go back to the things that have made you a good player. If you focus on that and not worry about the little things, I am sure you can finish off your career on a strong note. That's all I said. He went away and did that, and guess what? When I was at the end of my career, I got the same message back from him. He was the first on the phone and made me aware of the things I had to say to him,” Ponting added.
While this may be exactly what any struggling batter wants to hear, Ponting is hesitant to share it with two of India's most prominent batting stars, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. While Kohli and Rohit remain world-class ODI players, both have struggled in red-ball cricket over the last year or so.
However, focusing on the positives, Ponting highlighted why Rohit and Kohli are still at the peak of their games and stated that while Test matches may not be as pleasant for them, he would never go the Dravid route with any of them.
"You can't write off quality players. They're champions for a reason and always find a way to come good. At different times in the last couple of years, Virat has been able to do that when he is getting in a hole. He is a high-quality player, and maybe Rohit is a bit the same. Test cricket is the thing that is becoming harder for them right now. Rohit has made it clear he’s going nowhere in the 50-over game. Virat is the best white-ball player I have ever seen. I will never write those guys off," Ponting added.
"Whether or not I am going to send them the same message that I sent Rahul Dravid at the start of an IPL is a different question (smiles). But I love watching those guys play international cricket, and hopefully, they can play for years to come,” Ponting signed off.
Rahul Dravid is currently the coach of Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2025, while Ponting is coaching Punjab Kings. Both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are part of the MI and RCB franchises, respectively.