Former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting on Wednesday called India head coach Gautam Gambhir a “prickly character”, insisting that his comments on Virat Kohli should not be construed as a dig at the star batter.

Ponting, in an interview to ICC, had said that Kohli’s poor form was a concern and any other player would have struggled to keep his spot in the Test side with just two hundreds in five years.

At a news conference in Mumbai on the eve of their departure, Gambhir said the Australian needn’t be concerned about Indian cricket.

“I was surprised to read the reaction but knowing the coach, Gautam Gambhir... he’s quite a prickly character, so I’m not surprised it was him who said something back,” Ponting told 7News.

“If he comes my way, yeah. I don’t expect him to. We have got quite a bit of history, against each other. I have actually coached him at Delhi Capitals and he is quite a prickly character,” Ponting said when asked if he would shake hands with Gambhir if they met.

“In no way was it a dig at him (Kohli). I actually followed it up by saying he’s played well in Australia and he’ll be keen to bounce back over here...If you ask Virat, I’m sure he would be a little bit concerned that he hasn’t been able to make the same amount of hundreds as he has in previous years,” he said.

“So it’s amazing how little things can get cut up, but he’s a class player.”

Written with PTI inputs