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Ponting's Hypocrisy On Kohli Exposed! When Aussie Great Shouldered 17-Year-Old Harbhajan

Jatin

Ricky Ponting shouldered Harbhajan Singh [Source: @riseup_pant17/x.com]Ricky Ponting shouldered Harbhajan Singh [Source: @riseup_pant17/x.com]

The Boxing Day Test in Melbourne is always a spectacle, but this year, it got even spicier. Sam Konstas, the 19-year-old debutant for Australia, rattled India with his fearless batting, even reverse-ramping Jasprit Bumrah but that wasn’t the only drama on Day 1.

Things really got heated when Virat Kohli had a bit of a run-in with the young Aussie. The Indian veteran found himself in a shoulder-bumping incident with Konstas.

The altercation had cricket fans with mixed opinions, and former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting wasted no time pointing the finger at Kohli, accusing him of 'instigating' the clash.

But here’s the kicker: Ponting calling out Kohli for a confrontation is like the pot calling the kettle black. Why? Let’s rewind to 1998 and revisit a fiery face-off between Ponting and Harbhajan Singh.

A Blast From The Past: Ponting Vs Harbhajan

A young Harbhajan Singh was just starting out, fresh off an impressive three-wicket haul against the Aussies. In walked Ricky Ponting, looking to stamp his authority. The Aussie No. 3 went after Harbhajan, smashing him for boundaries and racing to 31 off 25 balls.

But Harbhajan wasn’t one to back down. The then-teenager outfoxed Ponting in the same over, getting him stumped by Nayan Mongia. What followed was an aggressive send-off that left no doubt about who’d won that round.

Ponting, clearly riled up, wasn’t ready to let it slide. While walking back towards the pavillion, he barged into Harbhajan and threw a few choice words. The moment startedone of the most iconic rivalries in cricket with Ponting often struggling against Harbhajan in the years that followed.


The Match That Had It All

The game itself was one for the ages. Australia went to score a massive 284/7 courtesy of Michael Bevan’s century and Mark Waugh’s 81. But the real showstopper came when Sachin Tendulkar took the crease.

His legendary 143, now famously called the 'Desert Storm,' gave India a fighting chance. Unfortunately, rain shortened the game, and India fell 26 runs short of the revised target.

Deja Vu In Melbourne

Coming to present, and we have got another raging showdown. This time, it’s Kohli and Konstas in the limelight. The 19-year-old Aussie held his ground, even when Kohli threw some words his way.

Ricky Ponting, quick to jump in, called out Kohli for instigating the incident. But let’s be real: Ponting calling out anyone for a shoulder bump is as as ironic as it gets. The man did the exact same thing over two decades ago, and now he’s on his high horse? Classic Aussies.

Ponting’s Hypocrisy Exposed

It’s funny how the cricketing world works, isn’t it? The very man who once shoulder-barged Harbhajan Singh in a heated exchange in Shrjah sun is now wagging a finger at Virat Kohli for doing something similar decades later.

Ponting’s selective amnesia might make for good soundbites but it’s hard to ignore the irony when the mirror reflects his own antics. The former Aussie captain’s criticism might sound loud, but history has a way of softening his tone. After all, cricket, like life, has a way of calling out its own hypocrisies.