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Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has weighed in on debate around Akash Deep putting his arm around England opener Ben Duckett after dismissing him on Day 2 of the fifth Test of Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025. Ponting was asked whether he would have reacted differently to Deep. The legendary Australian batter jokingly said that he would have punched Deep had he done it to him.
"I can think of a few batsmen down the years that would take umbrage at this, and I'm looking very much in your direction. That would have been a Ponting right hook, wouldn't it?" Sky Sports presenter Ian Ward asked during the lunch break on Day 2.
"Probably yeah, probably," Ponting replied.
However, the 50-year-old said that he likes the way Duckett plays cricket. Duckett not reacting to Deep in an aggressive manner impressed him.
"Although I mean, when I saw it, I just thought they must have been mates or played against each other somewhere or together. I would like to have something like that. I mean, you don't see that every day, maybe in a local park game or not in a test match that's been played as fiercely as this series has been played. I love the way that Ben Duckett plays his cricket. I think I like him more now to not to be able to react to that," Ponting said.
Duckett formed a fiery opening partnership of 92 runs with Zak Crawley on a wicket that has much assistance for the pacers. He hit five fours and two sixes in his 38-ball 43.
What Marcus Trescothick said about Deep-Duckett incident?
After the day's play, England assistant coach Marcus Trescothick also lauded Duckett. He felt that many during his cricket playing career would not have reacted in the same way as England opener did.
"He didn't really say too much. Strange, really. I don't think you really need to be putting your arm around someone, but nothing was really said, was it? You just don't really see it. We were chatting on the balcony there and I know many good people playing in county cricket would have said something or dug the elbow in, or something like that," Trescothick said in the post-day press conference.
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